A review by tctimlin
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Set in an unnamed Latin American country, in contemporary times (written in 1987j) Eva Luna tells her story, from her mother’s start in the jungle, conceived while her servant mother was nursing a strange red-haired gardener back to life.  She makes her own way out of poverty and travels through a world of characters epitomizing the colorful diversity of her nation.  As Eva is narrating her fantastical life story, the novel paints a counterpoint in the biography (told in third person) of German immigrant Rolf, fleeing his own nation’s and father’s cruelty to a small town in Latin America where German immigrants create almost a Disneyfied version of their homeland, with chalets and dogs and candle making.  As their tales intersect, Eva Luna tries to “live my life as I would like it … like a novel.” 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings