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mpfs's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Miscarriage, and Slavery
danelleeb's review against another edition
3.0
A sort of family saga, centered around one girl. Eliza Sommers, an orphan, was raised by the spinster Rose Sommers and her brother Jeremy. It begins with the story of her youth, then continues on with her falling in love with a Chilean who is beneath her family's rank. After falling in love with the lowly clerk, she sneaks away from her family onto a ship and sails from Chile to California, two months after her love left to join the mad dash for gold.
Things I liked: the time period, the setting of Chile, and how well the author went back to tell all the backstories of the characters without losing momentum in the overall story.
Things I didn't like: some of the story was a bit drawn out, some of the basic parts of the story, and the ending.
(First half of the story: 3, second half: 2/2.5.)
Things I liked: the time period, the setting of Chile, and how well the author went back to tell all the backstories of the characters without losing momentum in the overall story.
Things I didn't like: some of the story was a bit drawn out, some of the basic parts of the story, and the ending.
(First half of the story: 3, second half: 2/2.5.)
alfredesin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nedge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
suzewebster's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
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
4.5
dani208's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
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? It's complicated
4.0
paulablanc's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
Me encantó, disfruté mucho esta lectura. Lo que más me gusta de Isabel Allende es su capacidad para transportarte a la época y los lugares que va describiendo
important_idiot's review against another edition
1.0
Boring from beginning to end. I'm disappointed in this one.
inkwitchery's review against another edition
3.0
DAUGHTER of FORTUNE by Isabel Allende
After hearing so many great things about Isabel Allende’s novels, I decided to start with the first book in her Involuntary series (even though the books don’t necessarily have to be read in order).
Eliza Sommers’ life is filled with privilege, blind love/obsession, irrational decision making, stubbornness and just dumb luck. She jets off to California in search of a man she fell in love with. Along the way she befriends Tao Ch’ien (a Chinese healer) and various other characters who not only enrich her life, but provide companionship, love and support. Meanwhile, she’s still hung up on finding her long lost love.
I was hoping for an epic 1840s family saga set in Valparíso, Chile and San Francisco. What I got was a history and cultural lesson about the California gold rush of 1849 (which was actually interesting and something I’ve not read about before) along with pages and pages of text that did nothing to move the story forward or provide insight.
Also, everything that happened was revealed early in the story so there wasn’t much to look forward to or anticipate. The end was anticlimactic at best.
Perhaps, the next book will be better? Though I’m not in a rush to find out.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
After hearing so many great things about Isabel Allende’s novels, I decided to start with the first book in her Involuntary series (even though the books don’t necessarily have to be read in order).
Eliza Sommers’ life is filled with privilege, blind love/obsession, irrational decision making, stubbornness and just dumb luck. She jets off to California in search of a man she fell in love with. Along the way she befriends Tao Ch’ien (a Chinese healer) and various other characters who not only enrich her life, but provide companionship, love and support. Meanwhile, she’s still hung up on finding her long lost love.
I was hoping for an epic 1840s family saga set in Valparíso, Chile and San Francisco. What I got was a history and cultural lesson about the California gold rush of 1849 (which was actually interesting and something I’ve not read about before) along with pages and pages of text that did nothing to move the story forward or provide insight.
Also, everything that happened was revealed early in the story so there wasn’t much to look forward to or anticipate. The end was anticlimactic at best.
Perhaps, the next book will be better? Though I’m not in a rush to find out.
Rating: 3/5 ⭐️