Violeta
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- Create Date：2022-01-10 10:16:27
- Update Date：2025-09-23
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- Author：Isabel Allende
- ISBN：B093G9NJSX
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Summary
This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling 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。
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920， the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons。 From the start， her life will be 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 all 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 devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs， times of both poverty and wealth， terrible loss and immense joy。 Her life will be 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。
Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion， determination， and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval， Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional。
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920， the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons。 From the start， her life will be 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 all 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 devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs， times of both poverty and wealth， terrible loss and immense joy。 Her life will be 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。
Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion， determination， and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval， Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional。
Reviews
Felicity Johnson
，
Fascinating， captivating and a fantastic depiction of women in South America in the 20th and 21st centuries。 Violetta's life over a hundred years highlights the massive history and change， political upheaval， culture and community in Chile。 Her family and friends， relationships and experiences are absolutely fascinating， painful and real。So refreshing to read a whole life story filled with interesting history and stories。 Surprisingly varied， from a women's view in a very patriarchal society。 Br Fascinating， captivating and a fantastic depiction of women in South America in the 20th and 21st centuries。 Violetta's life over a hundred years highlights the massive history and change， political upheaval， culture and community in Chile。 Her family and friends， relationships and experiences are absolutely fascinating， painful and real。So refreshing to read a whole life story filled with interesting history and stories。 Surprisingly varied， from a women's view in a very patriarchal society。 Brilliant！！ Loved reading this one and can highly recommend for your next book！Thank you for the opportunity to read early NetGalley。 。。。more
Jene
，
Isabel Allende has done it again！ Violeta is a sweeping historical novel covering the life of the beautiful character of Violeta’s 100 years of life。 This story pulls you in from the first and keeps you engrossed until the very end。 Through letters to her beloved grandson Camilo， we learn of the relationships， loves， and many sides of this captivating woman。 From one pandemic to another， she has lived through it all and seen and dealt with so much。 Pain， heartbreak， joy， and love。 I loved this b Isabel Allende has done it again！ Violeta is a sweeping historical novel covering the life of the beautiful character of Violeta’s 100 years of life。 This story pulls you in from the first and keeps you engrossed until the very end。 Through letters to her beloved grandson Camilo， we learn of the relationships， loves， and many sides of this captivating woman。 From one pandemic to another， she has lived through it all and seen and dealt with so much。 Pain， heartbreak， joy， and love。 I loved this book。 I love Isabel Allende’s storytelling and writing。 It’s descriptive and captivating- just exquisite！ I can’t recommend this beautiful book enough。 It will definitely be one of my favorites of the year。 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review。 。。。more
Jesika
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To make a work of historical fiction this easy to read and to feel moved by is very hard - this is my first book by Isabel Allende despite having several on my shelf and it won't be my last。 The skill she has as a writer is legendary - for a reason， as it turns out。Violeta is turning 100 in 2020。 In a life that long she has had her fair share of loves， losses and twists of fate。 She writes to her Grandson to leave him the memories she wishes for him to know - think Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - To make a work of historical fiction this easy to read and to feel moved by is very hard - this is my first book by Isabel Allende despite having several on my shelf and it won't be my last。 The skill she has as a writer is legendary - for a reason， as it turns out。Violeta is turning 100 in 2020。 In a life that long she has had her fair share of loves， losses and twists of fate。 She writes to her Grandson to leave him the memories she wishes for him to know - think Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - and with them she leaves a record of the changing face of a nation， political upheavals and social changes， the challenges of motherhood， of purpose and of ambition。 Her story is one among millions and yet wholly unique， told with a relative understanding of her own faults and mistakes as she comes to the end of her life。This is a moving novel， firmly solidifying my belief that historical fiction can be incredible without being a dreaded heavy time in the right hands。 。。。more
Linda
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An epic tale told from the perspective of a one-hundred-year-old women looking back through her life as told to her adult grandson， Camilo， through a written narrative in the form of a long letter。。 She tells him （and us） about her birth and life in South America during some of the most turbulent parts of our world's history。 This story doesn't hold back。 The role of women in the world was different in the early part of the twentieth century。 But she was resourceful despite that， as many women h An epic tale told from the perspective of a one-hundred-year-old women looking back through her life as told to her adult grandson， Camilo， through a written narrative in the form of a long letter。。 She tells him （and us） about her birth and life in South America during some of the most turbulent parts of our world's history。 This story doesn't hold back。 The role of women in the world was different in the early part of the twentieth century。 But she was resourceful despite that， as many women had to be in order to survive in a man's world。 I felt a range of emotion as I was reading this tale。 I felt her triumphs， heartbreaks， despair， and always her hopes and dreams for the future。 And we are lucky， because we get to see how it all turned out for her and her family。 This book is an epic achievement in great storytelling。 Isabel Allende is a master at making sure the details are right as she richly fleshes out her characters making them come alive for us。 Thank you to #NetGalley and #BallantineBooks for the opportunity to read an early copy。 。。。more
Shernell
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Received ARC。 Thanks NetGalley！ Will read closer to publication。
Brianna Miller
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This was an epic， sweeping tale about one woman's life， from start to finish。 It was written in the form of a letter to a loved one （it's really not a "spoiler" to mention whom the letter is written to， but it's also not explained until probably 2/3 into the book， so I'm leaving that detail out of my review）。 This was an interesting format - while I've read epistolary type books in the past， this was not letters written back and forth， and wasn't even necessarily formatted like a letter。 But it This was an epic， sweeping tale about one woman's life， from start to finish。 It was written in the form of a letter to a loved one （it's really not a "spoiler" to mention whom the letter is written to， but it's also not explained until probably 2/3 into the book， so I'm leaving that detail out of my review）。 This was an interesting format - while I've read epistolary type books in the past， this was not letters written back and forth， and wasn't even necessarily formatted like a letter。 But it was what one could expect if a loved one told them the story of their life in letter form。 The book is set in South America （I believe in Chile）， which is an area I have not read about very much， if ever， in a fictional book。 I enjoyed learning some of the history of that region。 The book takes us through the ups and downs not only of Violeta's life， but also through the upheavals and unrest throughout the 20th century in Chile。 The book recounts times of prosperity and poverty， joy and heartache， as well as the coming of age of not only Violeta but her children as well。 Violeta is a woman with faults， but still someone you find yourself cheering for throughout。 While at times I found myself wishing she were a better mother， I was also equally impressed with her business acumen， especially in a time when women had less rights。The only thing I will say is that at times I did find the book a bit wordy and meandering。 Sometimes it felt that the message could have come across a little more succinctly， but overall I really liked it。 If you have no interest in history or South America， it may not be the book for you。 But if you do， I think you'll find this book to be rich with information， while telling a beautiful story to boot。Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine books for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Alana
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Allende has said in interviews that she was inspired by the life of her mother and their 50 years of daily correspondence。 I suspect parts of this book are autobiographical as well—Allende’s own life is mirrored in many parts of Violeta’s life。 I adored the strong and determined Violeta。 I cheered for her， loved her through her mistakes and understood her choices even if they weren’t ones I would have made。 Allende is such a gifted storyteller。 She gives you just enough detail to form impression Allende has said in interviews that she was inspired by the life of her mother and their 50 years of daily correspondence。 I suspect parts of this book are autobiographical as well—Allende’s own life is mirrored in many parts of Violeta’s life。 I adored the strong and determined Violeta。 I cheered for her， loved her through her mistakes and understood her choices even if they weren’t ones I would have made。 Allende is such a gifted storyteller。 She gives you just enough detail to form impressions of characters and places without overwhelming you and plenty of plot to move things along。 This was such a satisfying， absorbing read and I was sad when it ended。This ARC was provided by @netgalley and @randomhouse。 The opinions are my own。 。。。more
rylanne burdette
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As Violeta shares her life story with her grandson， Camilo， she reflects upon the world around her and the choices she made during her fulfilling life。 She remembers those who made an impact， for better or for worse， and writes about her experiences in different stages of life。Isabel Allende has such a beautiful way with words， and I cannot help but be captivated by the stories she writes。 I first read Eva Luna by Allende for a literature class in college， and after thoroughly enjoying that one， As Violeta shares her life story with her grandson， Camilo， she reflects upon the world around her and the choices she made during her fulfilling life。 She remembers those who made an impact， for better or for worse， and writes about her experiences in different stages of life。Isabel Allende has such a beautiful way with words， and I cannot help but be captivated by the stories she writes。 I first read Eva Luna by Allende for a literature class in college， and after thoroughly enjoying that one， I knew I wanted to read more and was so excited to get an ARC of Violeta。 Historical and literary fiction are not my most read genres， but the books that I do pick up under those categories tend to resonate with me， and Violeta is one of those。 Although it did take me a little while to get acquainted with the timeline of the story， once I got into it， I could not put the book down。 I teared up at the end， sad to see Violeta's story come to a close。 Reading this book has cemented the fact that I want to eventually read all of Allende's books， and I cannot wait to see this one in bookstores once it's published！CW for mention of and attempted rape， violence， miscarriages， and loss of loved ones。A huge thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of Violeta by Isabel Allende！ 。。。more
Lina Conk
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This is a book I predict will be everywhere in 2022。 It is by an internationally well renowned author， Isabel Allende， she has written so many celebrated novels…This is a story that spans over 100 years。 It begins at the time of the Spanish Flu and ends in 2020 during the peak of Covid。 Violeta Del Valle Is writing a letter to her grandson Camilo before she dies。 She is honest and shares everything she went through in her life in this letter。 Living through 10 decades of history there are major This is a book I predict will be everywhere in 2022。 It is by an internationally well renowned author， Isabel Allende， she has written so many celebrated novels…This is a story that spans over 100 years。 It begins at the time of the Spanish Flu and ends in 2020 during the peak of Covid。 Violeta Del Valle Is writing a letter to her grandson Camilo before she dies。 She is honest and shares everything she went through in her life in this letter。 Living through 10 decades of history there are major historical events highlighted along with major life events—family hardships， loses， marriages， affairs， successes， unexpected tragedies。。✨My Thoughts I liked this book but I can’t say I loved it。 It was one of my most highly anticipated novels in 2022 so I really wanted to love it。 You all know I love a book that revolves around the elderly telling their life story—just look at my top reads in 2021！ There were 3 books just like that。 Here is what preventing it from being the 5star read I was predicting- I think any time a book spans over so many decades you run the risk of just skimming the surface。 That is what happens here。 The timeline was moving fast but the story just felt so slow at times。 Not even sure if there was a climax？ I really did feel like I was reading a letter and I wanted to feel more transported。 I wanted more dialogue and less of a summary of events。 There were also moments where I felt the story went off on a tangent and I felt myself drifting。。I do think Allende is an amazing storyteller， I just don’t know that this format worked for me。 I did really like Violeta’s reflection in the end and the subtle humor she had an old age。 The one stand out character for me was Torito。 I would have had loved more of him。 。。。more
Teresa Cornelius
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Violeta by Isabel AllendeI have been reading Isabel Allende’s novels since The House of the Spirits was published in 1982。 I have loved almost all of them and Violeta is now exception。 It is a sweeping story which takes us from Chile in 1920 to the Chile of 2020 through the fascinating life of one woman as she tells her life story to her grandson ， Camilo。 Her story begins in the family home where her father has locked the doors allowing no visitors in in order to try and evade the Spanish Flu p Violeta by Isabel AllendeI have been reading Isabel Allende’s novels since The House of the Spirits was published in 1982。 I have loved almost all of them and Violeta is now exception。 It is a sweeping story which takes us from Chile in 1920 to the Chile of 2020 through the fascinating life of one woman as she tells her life story to her grandson ， Camilo。 Her story begins in the family home where her father has locked the doors allowing no visitors in in order to try and evade the Spanish Flu pandemic。 Her mother gives birth to her first daughter after giving birth to 5 sons。 Her life is impacted by world events and the Great Depression following the Wall Street Crash of 1929 means her family are reduced to living in Nahuel in the South of Chile as they struggle to evade their numerous creditors。 They live a simple life and as she gets older Violeta accompanies the teachers who travel to the small communities to educate the local people in return for basic hospitality。Violeta has a turbulent life there are stories of her husband her lovers and the passions of her life。 These are accompanied by the struggles which are going on in the wider world， the war， the dictators who take over the country， the plight of the disappeared and the role of America in the destabilisation of their country。 It is a sweeping story which is beautifully written， intense and dramatic。 It is the story of a colourful life lived through some astounding events。 Isable Allende’s powerful writing enables you to become immersed in the lives of the characters。 The settings are beautifully evoked through wonderful descriptions。 I would like to thank Isabel Allende， Bloomsbury and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review。 I will be encouraging my book groups to read this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it。 。。。more
Marianne Burke
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Another immersive story from Allende。 Loved it。
Thelma
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love this book so much Isabelle Allende has a way of writing stories that made you feel like you're walking in a movie set and you get to see every scene and get to know each character inside out。 making you feel part of the story and the characters this was the case of Violeta very strong determined woman who suffered so much， abuse betrayal， and many other things that made her into the woman that she was。Violeta was an amazing heroine， at the beginning I was a little mad that she was willing t love this book so much Isabelle Allende has a way of writing stories that made you feel like you're walking in a movie set and you get to see every scene and get to know each character inside out。 making you feel part of the story and the characters this was the case of Violeta very strong determined woman who suffered so much， abuse betrayal， and many other things that made her into the woman that she was。Violeta was an amazing heroine， at the beginning I was a little mad that she was willing to let these men treat her that way， but she was living in an era where women didn't have any right at all and were constantly mistreated， hurt and even raped and murdered。 These were times were Violeta was more determined to help all the women being abused。Many of the great characters that we get to meet during the course of the book are fantastic and make this book even more magical， like nieves， Felipe， Etelvina， Camilo， Juan Martin， Torito， Herald， and many more。Torito was one of my favorites because he really expanded true kindness and love to everybody around。 Violeta was a character that inspired so much， I felt like even the other characters were always in awe of her and her strong-willed determination towards life in general。This is the story of Violeta and Camilo she wrote his story so he could understand and learn what happened till this point in his life。Many great things to say about this book and the great characters， so many great views about what was happening during all those years during WWll but overall Violeta was amazing as a story and also as a character。 。。。more
hamna
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there's so much to say about this book， and i don't think i'll do it any justice even if i try; there's always been something very compelling， to me， about books， or works of art about someone's life。 not just the adventures and the high points， but down to the grit and the boring day-to-day。 i didn't know what i was expecting starting this， if i'm honest; i started it out of a simple whim because it felt like something i might've wanted to read， in an almost abstract way。 and yet- reading this， there's so much to say about this book， and i don't think i'll do it any justice even if i try; there's always been something very compelling， to me， about books， or works of art about someone's life。 not just the adventures and the high points， but down to the grit and the boring day-to-day。 i didn't know what i was expecting starting this， if i'm honest; i started it out of a simple whim because it felt like something i might've wanted to read， in an almost abstract way。 and yet- reading this， from the first page itself was captivating- a poignant story of a woman who's lived a century， who has seen people come and go， has seen regimes and governments start and fall， who has lived， quite literally， from one pandemic to another - who has had kids and has had to leave them; lovers， who sparked and died out。 the narrative in and of itself is unlike almost anything i've read lately， （which might be 100% on me， but still）; the writing is so engrossing， even the details and the little intricacies that may or may not come into play later。 i loved the characters， from start to end; i loved violeta and her story， i loved her resilience in the face of so much， her admittance， and her growth。 it takes awful wonders to create a character like her， i think， and i think this story would've fallen very flat indeed without her。thank you to random house for the arc。 （4。5/5） 。。。more
Mimi
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This is captivating historical fiction as Violeta narrates the story of her life from birth to death， a riches-to-rags-to-riches epic。 It is written as a cross between a memoir and an epistolary novel written to a much beloved family member named Camilo。 She relates the vicissitudes of her life， with all its ups and downs， including what she refers to as her sins。 Throughout it all， she chronicles historical events that took place during her lifetime， starting with the Spanish Flu in the year 19 This is captivating historical fiction as Violeta narrates the story of her life from birth to death， a riches-to-rags-to-riches epic。 It is written as a cross between a memoir and an epistolary novel written to a much beloved family member named Camilo。 She relates the vicissitudes of her life， with all its ups and downs， including what she refers to as her sins。 Throughout it all， she chronicles historical events that took place during her lifetime， starting with the Spanish Flu in the year 1920; the stock market crash in 1929 followed by worldwide Depression; WWII; the 1973 Chilean coup d'état followed by the disappearance and/or torture of thousands; US involvement in supporting dictatorships in South America; and more。 Violeta also describes her childhood; her parents and siblings; her governess; her aunts and country life; her husbands， lovers， and， of course， her children。 All-in-all， she depicts a life well-lived with few regrets。 Violeta is a fascinating narrative that kept my attention throughout。 Well-worth reading。Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
agata
，
Violeta is a sweeping historical fiction novel about the life of a woman born in 1920 during the Spanish flu epidemic， who lives to be 100 years old。 Violeta tells her life story to a person who is very dear to her heart， and wow， what a life it was。 She experienced epidemics， wars， and revolutions， but also passionate love， heartbreak， and motherhood。Violeta is a mesmerizing story with an amazing atmosphere that reminded me of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo。 It’s so detailed and well-written tha Violeta is a sweeping historical fiction novel about the life of a woman born in 1920 during the Spanish flu epidemic， who lives to be 100 years old。 Violeta tells her life story to a person who is very dear to her heart， and wow， what a life it was。 She experienced epidemics， wars， and revolutions， but also passionate love， heartbreak， and motherhood。Violeta is a mesmerizing story with an amazing atmosphere that reminded me of Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo。 It’s so detailed and well-written that reading it feels like watching a movie。 I definitely learned a lot about the history of Chile thanks to how engaging this book is。 During her long life Violeta meets a lot of side characters， but they’re all very memorable and different from each other。 I especially loved the gentle giant Torito， and I know that his story arc will stay with me for a long time。 I also loved how we find out the mysterious addressee’s identity and story piece by piece throughout the book。 Overall， Violeta is a captivating， dazzling novel set in a fascinating century and focused on what it feels like to live your life through major historical events。 。。。more
Celeste Miller
，
📚 Violeta by Isabel Allende 📚 "Sometimes our fates take turns that we don’t notice in the moment they occur， but if you live as long as I have they become clear in hindsight。 At each crossroads or fork we must decide which direction to take。 These decisions may determine the course of the rest of our lives。" I absolutely devoured this story of a woman who lives 100 years， from 1920-2020。 With the passing of Betty White this book felt even more prescient。 Considering how these women （one fictiona 📚 Violeta by Isabel Allende 📚 "Sometimes our fates take turns that we don’t notice in the moment they occur， but if you live as long as I have they become clear in hindsight。 At each crossroads or fork we must decide which direction to take。 These decisions may determine the course of the rest of our lives。" I absolutely devoured this story of a woman who lives 100 years， from 1920-2020。 With the passing of Betty White this book felt even more prescient。 Considering how these women （one fictional， one very real） led incredible lives and how much changed throughout history and in society during their lifetimes， it was so fascinating。 She's been a favorite author of mine since a college professor had me read her debut novel The House of the Spirits back in 2000 or so。 With this new book， she's showing the world that she's still got it。 Wow！ I double checked via Google and Isabel Allende is 79 years old。 Here's to another 20 for her too。 Her previous book Long Petal of the Sea came out in 2020 （I think） and I loved it as well。 Over the last 20 years I've read most of her fiction， and there were a few I wasn't a big fan of - Ripper， The Japanese Lover。 Even when reading In the Midst of Winter I liked it but wondered if she had lost her edge。 But it's back！ I also think that because I started out with her historical fiction， I might like these more than the present day novels mentioned above。 If you love her， you've got to read this。 If you've never read her books， this would be a great starting point because it's got many of her best qualities - sweeping， emotional， compelling characters， political background， fascinating history， and dramatic families。 But it doesn't have the somewhat unsettling magical realism and entangled prose that her debut throws at you。 Work up to that one too though because it's totally worth it！ Thanks to @randomhouse for the Netgalley eARC。 This will be available January 25th！ 。。。more
Constantine
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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Genre: Historical FictionThis is the story of Violeta Del Valle who lives for a whole century！ She was born in 1920 during the Spanish flu pandemic and will die in 2020 during the outbreak of coronavirus。 We readers will follow her long journey from life to death through her own words。 In this story， she is the narrator and she tells her story in the form of a letter/book to Camilo （I don’t want to reveal who he is）。 There is so much happening in this book from start to end。 The rea Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Genre: Historical FictionThis is the story of Violeta Del Valle who lives for a whole century！ She was born in 1920 during the Spanish flu pandemic and will die in 2020 during the outbreak of coronavirus。 We readers will follow her long journey from life to death through her own words。 In this story， she is the narrator and she tells her story in the form of a letter/book to Camilo （I don’t want to reveal who he is）。 There is so much happening in this book from start to end。 The readers have two different elements that keep the story flowing， the characters and the world。 The author has fleshed out the characters。 There are many and each one of them is unique and has its own personality。 They felt like real people to me。 It is like you are reading a documentary about real persons who lived through all this。 What I truly love about the main character is that she is very human。 She is flawed。 Violeta has good and bad inside her。 She never defended her bad decisions or mistakes。 She is honest to Camilo in her writing and is never ashamed of her rebellious nature。 She is a woman who had to live on her own terms even if those terms were defying the norms and traditions in those times。 The other factor I loved that moved the story is how the author incorporated many historic events into the story be it the Spanish flu pandemic， the Great Depression， political turmoils， and many more up to our days。 Isabel Allende’s writing is so beautiful and engaging。 I never read anything by her before but would love to read more of her books。 The little details she put in her story and characters are exceptional。 I have a very strong feeling that this book will be up for many awards in 2022 including the Goodreads Choice Award for historical fiction。 The book has a stunning cover and is beautiful from the outside and inside。 It deserves the love it is currently receiving so make sure to grab it when it is out by the end of this month （25th January）。Violeta living for 100 years reminded me of a beautiful celebrity that we have lost a few days ago just before she hit 100 years of age， Betty White 😢。 May her soul rest in peace。 “Where did all the years go？”Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine， NetGalley， and the author Isabel Allende for providing me an advance review copy of this book。 。。。more
Gail
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Violeta is well written historical fiction weaving Violeta’s personal story with 100 years of history in an unnamed South American country。 Violeta’s story starts with her birth in 1920 during the Influenza Pandemic and ends with her death in 2020 during the Covid Pandemic。 As someone who loves history， I found all the historical information fascinating， but loved Violeta’s personal story even more。 I read one of Isabel Allende’s books years ago。 I always meant to read more。 Reading Violeta make Violeta is well written historical fiction weaving Violeta’s personal story with 100 years of history in an unnamed South American country。 Violeta’s story starts with her birth in 1920 during the Influenza Pandemic and ends with her death in 2020 during the Covid Pandemic。 As someone who loves history， I found all the historical information fascinating， but loved Violeta’s personal story even more。 I read one of Isabel Allende’s books years ago。 I always meant to read more。 Reading Violeta makes me realize I should make it a priority to rectify this mistake！ 。。。more
Susie Dumond
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Violeta has witnessed a hundred years of history during the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries， including two global pandemics。 Now at the end of her life， she writes a letter to her grandson about what she’s learned — including the passion， surprises， loss， and joy along the way。This narrative of a long， passionate life well-lived is precisely the book I needed to start a new year！ Isabel Allende has such a gift for sweeping narratives that show us the beauty in the big and small moments of lif Violeta has witnessed a hundred years of history during the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries， including two global pandemics。 Now at the end of her life， she writes a letter to her grandson about what she’s learned — including the passion， surprises， loss， and joy along the way。This narrative of a long， passionate life well-lived is precisely the book I needed to start a new year！ Isabel Allende has such a gift for sweeping narratives that show us the beauty in the big and small moments of life。 I loved every moment of Violeta's story。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Shirley McAllister
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An Independent WomanThis story starts in 1920 with the birth of Violeta during the Spanish Flu pandemic and ends in 2020 with the Covid 19 Pandemic。 It covers all the years in between。 It is the story of one woman， her family， her friends， her lovers and business partners。 Through all the stages of her life daughter， wife， mother， lover and business partner Violeta strived to be an independent woman and leading a life of her own choosing。 She was one that could not be caged， could not be held ba An Independent WomanThis story starts in 1920 with the birth of Violeta during the Spanish Flu pandemic and ends in 2020 with the Covid 19 Pandemic。 It covers all the years in between。 It is the story of one woman， her family， her friends， her lovers and business partners。 Through all the stages of her life daughter， wife， mother， lover and business partner Violeta strived to be an independent woman and leading a life of her own choosing。 She was one that could not be caged， could not be held back。 She campaigned for women's rights to birth control， abortion， divorce and against domestic abuse。 Even though at times she was herself a victim of abuse。 She found wealth in the city and peace in the country where she felt most at home。Through hurricanes， floods， dictators and social unrest she lived and raised her two children and her grandchild。 She gambled with the mafia and traveled the roads and back roads with her lovers。 She lived and loved in her own way， built an empire with her brother in the pre-fab housing market and left most of her money to her son who became a priest。I liked the story as it described the different parts of the country she lived in the Canary Islands， the politics， the people that lived there and their different customs and ways of living。 The rich， the poor， and the crooked。 The good， the bad and the indifferent。 It was a good story and I enjoyed reading it。 I would recommend it。Thanks to Isabel Allende for writing the story， Random House for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available to me。 。。。more
Alison Hartley
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The description of this book says ‘she tells her story in the form of a letter’ which is what drew me in， I really enjoy books that are told in that form but this one didn’t live up to my expectations。 It was told more as one long story with the occasional reference to Camilo who she has wrote this for。 It spans 100 years and covers every aspect of Violeta’s life， all the ups and downs， the relationships built and lost， the people she has met along the way and what she has learnt from all of thi The description of this book says ‘she tells her story in the form of a letter’ which is what drew me in， I really enjoy books that are told in that form but this one didn’t live up to my expectations。 It was told more as one long story with the occasional reference to Camilo who she has wrote this for。 It spans 100 years and covers every aspect of Violeta’s life， all the ups and downs， the relationships built and lost， the people she has met along the way and what she has learnt from all of this。This book has such fantastic reviews that I really wanted to like it but I didn’t， I felt distanced from the characters and story， it was more like I was being talked to from a history book rather than being invited to share someone’s life journey。 There was also a lot of political talking， sometimes too much， for me it detracted from getting to know the characters。 It wasn’t all negative though， there were some poignant parts in it along with some laughs， I loved the nanny Miss Taylor， she brought a bit of light relief。 My thanks to Netgally and the publisher for an advanced copy of this title。 。。。more
Meagan Waller
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Wow。 This was one of my favorite reads of 2021， and of course， it was the last book I read in 2021。 Go figure。I found this nearly impossible to put down。 Any spare moment I had I was opening up this eBook， including while waiting in line at Universal Studios。 I stayed up until 4 am finishing it， and as someone who deeply treasures their sleep， that’s a huge endorsement。This is a sweeping story about one woman’s life， the upheaval， joys， loss， grief， and love that she has experienced。 Violeta was Wow。 This was one of my favorite reads of 2021， and of course， it was the last book I read in 2021。 Go figure。I found this nearly impossible to put down。 Any spare moment I had I was opening up this eBook， including while waiting in line at Universal Studios。 I stayed up until 4 am finishing it， and as someone who deeply treasures their sleep， that’s a huge endorsement。This is a sweeping story about one woman’s life， the upheaval， joys， loss， grief， and love that she has experienced。 Violeta was born in 1920 in South America。 Throughout her long life， she experienced the world around her change in terrible， amazing， and scary ways。 She tells the story of her life in a letter to someone named Camillo。 The reader isn’t aware of who Camillo is until about two-thirds of the way through the story。"The first years of my life had been a tug of war; I was constantly trying to impose my will and， since I always got my way， I didn’t feel safe or protected。" - VioletaThis is the type of story I absolutely love。 Incredibly character-driven， and almost mundane， but that mundaneness makes it so human。Violeta has been through so much in her life， with a life bookended by pandemics。 She was forced to grow up so quickly， I was rooting for Violeta throughout this entire book。 I was heartbroken for what she had to endure as a child and deeply touched by how much love she had to give to those around her。 Even though Violeta had to endure a tremendous amount， and went through events I wouldn’t wish on almost anyone， she still had a life full of love， family， and happiness。"The journey of life has long and tedious stretches， step by step， day by day， without anything exciting happening， but memory is made up of the unexpected events that mark your course。" - VioletaThis book is going to stick with me for a long time to come。 It truly made me an Allende fan， and I’ve purchased several of her books and have them on my immediate TBR list。 There’s something so special about an author who can write a character that feels so real and human。 That has flaws， imperfections， goals， aspirations， and dreams that completely make sense， are consistent， and make the reader truly fall in love with the character。Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for gifting me this Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rebecca
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Epic is a perfect description for this historical/literary fiction by Isabel Allende。 I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to read this pre-publication thanks to NetGalley。 I have read other works by Isabel Allende， and as was the case with VIOLETA， I always feel as if I have read something very worthwhile at the end of an Allende novel。The opening scene is in Chile when the so-called "Spanish flu" pandemic reaches the homeland of the wealthy Del Valle family in 1920。 One comment in the narra Epic is a perfect description for this historical/literary fiction by Isabel Allende。 I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to read this pre-publication thanks to NetGalley。 I have read other works by Isabel Allende， and as was the case with VIOLETA， I always feel as if I have read something very worthwhile at the end of an Allende novel。The opening scene is in Chile when the so-called "Spanish flu" pandemic reaches the homeland of the wealthy Del Valle family in 1920。 One comment in the narration is interesting: that this pandemic was labeled "Spanish" because Spain had published numbers of cases/deaths while other countries were occupied publishing World War I news。First-person narrator Violeta was just an infant at that time， but she tells her story as a flashback and in the form of letters， addressed to Camilo， her grandson。 I found myself forgetting that this novel was told in letters until Violeta occasionally mentioned Camilo by name。 The letter format neither added to nor detracted from the overall reading experience for me。The privileged Del Valle family who brought a nanny from England to care for spoiled little Violeta is now facing financial ruin as the Great Depression follows the 20th century pandemic。 Eventually， their mansion is crumbling， but the land it sits on is still very valuable。 When they first flee to a less developed area to escape the pandemic， they bring what they think is valuable -Tiffany lamps。 Only to discover that the area they've gone to does not have electricity。The despair and desperation of the Del Valle family are no different than 21st century: pyramid schemes， financial ruin， death， divorces， scandals。 Violeta lives to 100 years old and dies during the start of the Corona Virus pandemic。 I think one of the strengths of this book is to help younger generations appreciate how much life remains the same。 There may be new inventions and gadgets， but human relationships， sorrow and joy， are a common thread for us all。 It was a strong four-star reading experience for me。 Thank you Random House and Net Galley。。 。。。more
Andrea | Facciponte Design Bookshelf
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Thank you to Netgalley， Ballantine Books， and the author for providing this ARC。Overall Rating: ⭐️/5Edition: ebookOriginality: ⭐️/5Character Development: ⭐️⭐️/5Favorite Character: Torito， because how can you not love the guy who throws himself out there to save others。 Recommend: 👎As a woman who has lived 100 years， Violeta experienced uncountable loss。 To aid in preparation for her final days， she writes a letter detailing her past to her missionary grandson。 The Spanish flu， the Great War， the Thank you to Netgalley， Ballantine Books， and the author for providing this ARC。Overall Rating: ⭐️/5Edition: ebookOriginality: ⭐️/5Character Development: ⭐️⭐️/5Favorite Character: Torito， because how can you not love the guy who throws himself out there to save others。 Recommend: 👎As a woman who has lived 100 years， Violeta experienced uncountable loss。 To aid in preparation for her final days， she writes a letter detailing her past to her missionary grandson。 The Spanish flu， the Great War， the Great Depression， Women’s Rights， the Covid 19 Pandemic。 Violeta lived through these hardships and more。 This book took FOREVER to read。 Is it just me， or does it seem like many authors these days - especially historical fiction writers - are using the whole “old lady sharing the story of her life with （insert 2nd important character here）” theme a bit much？ It didn’t help that I could not stand the main character， who the book so happens to be titled。 The summary for this work of literary fiction suggests Violeta is passionate， determined， and full of humor。 Honestly - I viewed her as the complete opposite。 I felt she really had no personality until she began describing her life experience towards the end of the book。 Other than that， I really only saw her as someone who just went with the flow of things。 She didn’t really take responsibility for her life。 Though， oddly， she was immoral for the times and family she came from when it came to intimacy and marriage。 In her long letter to her grandson， Camilo， Violeta mentions her friend wants her to go to confession before death。 But she couldn’t bring it upon herself to confess to Camilo。 This was a complete contradiction， considering the entire letter is a confession。 I mean， she even details his mother’s drug addiction and her own personal sexual experiences。 Last time I checked， that's confessing some deep rooted information some kids don’t need （or want） to know about their mothers and grandmothers。 This was my first Isabel Allende novel。 YES。 I know this is not her first rodeo and her books have made the top of the charts。 If you love her writing， great。 I hope you love this。 I would actually love to know what someone who has read all of her previous titles thinks of this work in comparison。 。。。more
Gem ~ Bee
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A poetically written fictional memoirs of a girl growing up in South America， spanning one hundred years from the Spanish Flu pandemic after WW1 to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020。 I was gripped by this story， the political backdrops and experiences of the characters， the passions and tragedies。 It is such a wonderful， heartbreaking and beautiful book， capturing someone's life in all its tiny moments。 A poetically written fictional memoirs of a girl growing up in South America， spanning one hundred years from the Spanish Flu pandemic after WW1 to the coronavirus pandemic of 2020。 I was gripped by this story， the political backdrops and experiences of the characters， the passions and tragedies。 It is such a wonderful， heartbreaking and beautiful book， capturing someone's life in all its tiny moments。 。。。more
Vanessa
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This book starts out really strong and I was really engaged， but something happened somewhere after the halfway point and I got a little bored。 This tells the story of Violeta， born during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1920 in an unnamed South American country， and dying in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic。 I really enjoyed the story when she was a young woman， following her own path。 The book also details what it's like to live in a country in South America with an unstable government。 That i This book starts out really strong and I was really engaged， but something happened somewhere after the halfway point and I got a little bored。 This tells the story of Violeta， born during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1920 in an unnamed South American country， and dying in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic。 I really enjoyed the story when she was a young woman， following her own path。 The book also details what it's like to live in a country in South America with an unstable government。 That is rather interesting also。 Some of this is really rushed and other parts seemed drawn out。 If you like an epic tale of historical fiction， I definitely recommend this。I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kelso Ansara
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Absolute cracker of a novel to start the year off。 Allende is everything。
Helen
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One of my favourite books is “The House of the Spirits” which I read many years ago always intending to read another book by Isabel Allende but for some reason or other， her books passed me by with the exception of the heartbreaking story “Paula”。 I therefore leapt at the chance of reading “Violeta”。 Thank you Netgalley。 This has been a delight to read over the Christmas period when it has been possible to sit by a fire and read this beautifully written historical epic。 The descriptions take you One of my favourite books is “The House of the Spirits” which I read many years ago always intending to read another book by Isabel Allende but for some reason or other， her books passed me by with the exception of the heartbreaking story “Paula”。 I therefore leapt at the chance of reading “Violeta”。 Thank you Netgalley。 This has been a delight to read over the Christmas period when it has been possible to sit by a fire and read this beautifully written historical epic。 The descriptions take your imagination to all the places where Violeta has lived。 She is born in a pandemic and dies in the current pandemic that we are all living through。 During her long life， she has lived through wars and political unrest。 The characters are well depicted and the reader gets to know each one of them and feels Violeta’s passion。 Violeta is talking via letters to her grandson。 How I wish someone had written these letters to me！ 。。。more
Joan
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4。0。 This is a hard book to review。 I have really enjoyed Allende’s other novels， but this is not， in my opinion， on the level as her others。 I liked it at times， and yet felt it was pedestrian and too long and difficult to slog through at other times。 It’s an interesting story of a South American woman born during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1920 and ending during the COVID pandemic。 An incredible life， Violeta was born into extreme wealth， but fell into hard times at a very young age with her 4。0。 This is a hard book to review。 I have really enjoyed Allende’s other novels， but this is not， in my opinion， on the level as her others。 I liked it at times， and yet felt it was pedestrian and too long and difficult to slog through at other times。 It’s an interesting story of a South American woman born during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1920 and ending during the COVID pandemic。 An incredible life， Violeta was born into extreme wealth， but fell into hard times at a very young age with her father’s unorthodox business methods。 This part of her life was critical to who she became and propelled her journey later in years as a successful businesswoman， but also as prescient and understanding of her frailties， mistakes， and vulnerabilities。 She went to live in what might have been the southern part of Chile which was fascinating to me， as that’s a beautiful place in the world， including it’s pristine majestic natural beauty and simplistic life in rural countryside living。 We follow Violeta through her life with many ups and downs， with family， friends， loves， politics —including times of repression—and women’s rights ， including domestic violence that covers everyone， no matter their economic standing， especially in a culture that dismissed it。 This novel does include some of her magic realism which I enjoy， but the political realm took too much precedence in my opinion。 An interesting saga， but not to the level of her other novels。 I still will look forward to her future novels as she is a gifted writer。 I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased and candid review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Violeta
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Violeta&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Violeta&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0