Violeta [English Edition]: A Novel
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - This sweeping novel from the author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century. "An immersive saga about a passion-filled life."--People ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar, Real Simple, Reader's Digest Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth. Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics. Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.
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Community Reviews
This book is a work of love that needs time and patience to digest and be enjoyed. It's beautiful and well-paced, although not exactly thrilling. I was always curious where Violeta's life would take her, and how she would narrate the events. I fell in love with this book and would read it again.
Violeta started out slow with too many characters being introduced. About half way through it got excellent. Like how it all came together and really respected Violeta and how she conducted her life.
Good book about South America in the last 100 years. Loved the characters and learning some of the history.
Really enjoyed this book that has just the right amount of history, drama, romance, sensuality, thrill and reality to keep you going page after page. Great characters come to life to display one century of changes, challenges, battles and victories but it also show us the cyclical vulnerability of our human nature and the challenges that we continue to face. Highly recommended this book.
Great book that depicts the life over a century; both personally, nationally and internationally. The main character gave us a look at all the stages in her life. The author does a great job of describing the characters in a way that makes you feel like you know them. Loved the book!
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