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A review by jess_mango
Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende
4.0
I read a few of Allende's novels around a decade ago and really enjoyed them. I've had my eye on this one for years and I am glad that I finally got to read it. It has that same style and feel as the other Allende books that I liked so much.
This book is set in an unnamed country but it could easily be set in Chile, Allende's home country. It is a time of turmoil and shadows. The government is run by a dictator. There is a lot of corruption in the government and the police. Criminals run rampant and unchecked. People regularly disappear. But through all of this, there is love. We see romantic love and also love for family and friends.
The two central characters are Irene and Francisco. Irene is a journalist and comes from a wealthy family. She works with Francisco, a photographer from a poor family. The two develop a deeper relationship as the book progresses. Irene is pretty fearless and seeks out stories even if they put her in danger. Irene and Francisco pursue a story about a teenage girl who villagers say can perform miracles. While investigating the story they uncover a crime.
There is also discussion of people of different social classes and how they experience these love and shadows...how people keep quiet out of fear of what will happen. I see some similarities to other books I am reading this month about people from South & Central America.
This book is set in an unnamed country but it could easily be set in Chile, Allende's home country. It is a time of turmoil and shadows. The government is run by a dictator. There is a lot of corruption in the government and the police. Criminals run rampant and unchecked. People regularly disappear. But through all of this, there is love. We see romantic love and also love for family and friends.
The two central characters are Irene and Francisco. Irene is a journalist and comes from a wealthy family. She works with Francisco, a photographer from a poor family. The two develop a deeper relationship as the book progresses. Irene is pretty fearless and seeks out stories even if they put her in danger. Irene and Francisco pursue a story about a teenage girl who villagers say can perform miracles. While investigating the story they uncover a crime.
There is also discussion of people of different social classes and how they experience these love and shadows...how people keep quiet out of fear of what will happen. I see some similarities to other books I am reading this month about people from South & Central America.