My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published January 25th 2022 by Ballantine Books
I can’t believe that I am just now getting around to reading Isabel Allende, and I can’t wait to read more. As an avid fan of historical fiction, Latin American authors, and magical realism, Allende has been on my radar since college and I have no good reason not reading her work sooner. Violeta is a sweeping history of an unnamed South American country (although the details point to Chile) and the century long life of an extraordinary woman. We see her life unfold through four autobiographical periods–Exile, Passion, Absence, Rebirth–composed in her last days for her grandson, whom she raised as a son.
Born during the Spanish Flu epidemic in 1920, and dying during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, this story immerses us in the history and culture of her country while winding its way through the events and people who shaped her life. The only critique I have is that I got a bit bogged down in the history of the country in the later part of book because I was anxious to get back to the memorable characters and events in Violeta’s personal life. Truly remarkable in its beautiful prose and engaging storytelling, Violeta is not to be missed.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
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