bridgetkay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Allende handled the historical context well, deftly placing her protagonists as Catalan refugees from the Spanish civil war who establish a new home in Chile, only for that to result in a dictatorship also. However, the setting is not the focus of the novel, with relationships being what anchors this novel.Â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Death, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Genocide, Xenophobia, Child death, Miscarriage, Violence, Sexual violence, Cancer, Police brutality, Rape, and Pregnancy
beaucoupmich's review
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This book has reminded me of why I love historical fiction so much.
I think it's right to put a highlight on how rich the writing is in this book. It's the first time I read any of Allende's book and since this is one of her most recent works I consider myself lucky, because she's certainly known her way around with words for years. Of course the premise sounds strange for our times since the book took place throughout decades starting from the 1930s, and some aspects could be weird as heck, especially regarding the characters, who had questionable moral compass, in my opinion. I'm not too fond of the characters as individuals, but by God, what a long life they've been through together (and not)!
While reading we got to see meaning behind the title and I think it was so touching how it was delivered. This book is overall a tribute to a homeland, a homage to history, and a beautiful narrative about home and the idea of home. It is also, to my understanding, an acknowledgement to creative minds: poets, artists, musicians, and how their contribution too were important in surviving the wars and other dire times. I can't get over the following paragraph:
"During the endless evenings in that reduced space, he went over the list of refugees he had granted a place on board in Bordeaux that distant August 1939 day, as well as other exiled Spanish men and women who arrived in Chile in the years that followed. Victor pointed out that Neruda's refusing to stick to the government's order to select only skilled workers, and instead including artists and intellectuals, had enriched the country with a wide range of talent, knowledge, and culture. In under a decade they had provided outstanding scientists, musicians, painters, writers, journalists, and even a historian whose dream was the monumental task of rewriting the history of Chile from its origins." (p. 215)
This could've been that love story with marriage of convenience trope, but to me it's more than that. It's a story with an immense expression about hope and loss, the becomes and the could've beens, the surprises in life, and the broken promises that have never been pledged. If you're a historical fiction fan I highly recommend it.
I think it's right to put a highlight on how rich the writing is in this book. It's the first time I read any of Allende's book and since this is one of her most recent works I consider myself lucky, because she's certainly known her way around with words for years. Of course the premise sounds strange for our times since the book took place throughout decades starting from the 1930s, and some aspects could be weird as heck, especially regarding the characters, who had questionable moral compass, in my opinion. I'm not too fond of the characters as individuals, but by God, what a long life they've been through together (and not)!
While reading we got to see meaning behind the title and I think it was so touching how it was delivered. This book is overall a tribute to a homeland, a homage to history, and a beautiful narrative about home and the idea of home. It is also, to my understanding, an acknowledgement to creative minds: poets, artists, musicians, and how their contribution too were important in surviving the wars and other dire times. I can't get over the following paragraph:
"During the endless evenings in that reduced space, he went over the list of refugees he had granted a place on board in Bordeaux that distant August 1939 day, as well as other exiled Spanish men and women who arrived in Chile in the years that followed. Victor pointed out that Neruda's refusing to stick to the government's order to select only skilled workers, and instead including artists and intellectuals, had enriched the country with a wide range of talent, knowledge, and culture. In under a decade they had provided outstanding scientists, musicians, painters, writers, journalists, and even a historian whose dream was the monumental task of rewriting the history of Chile from its origins." (p. 215)
This could've been that love story with marriage of convenience trope, but to me it's more than that. It's a story with an immense expression about hope and loss, the becomes and the could've beens, the surprises in life, and the broken promises that have never been pledged. If you're a historical fiction fan I highly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Blood, War, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: War and Terminal illness
Minor: Racism and Body shaming
claudia_bow's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Infidelity, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Violence
sarah984's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The history that this book was based on was fascinating, but I think I would have preferred to read a straight-up history book to this work of historical fiction. The characters are all very vaguely drawn and have extremely predictable stories. The reader is always told how the characters feel instead of it being demonstrated in the text, and somehow despite all of the characters’ hardships everything seems to always work out neatly for them so the stakes felt weirdly low.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Violence
Moderate: Ableism, Cancer, Dementia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Rape, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Torture, and Xenophobia
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