Violeta
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- Create Date：2022-01-04 00:51:53
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Isabel Allende
- ISBN：1526648342
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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
Gem ~ Bee
，
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
，
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
，
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
Kristen Killian
，
Many thank yous to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for this honest review。 My final book of 2021！The premise of this book is fabulous - Violeta is telling her life story through letters to her grandson， and I was immediately attracted to the concept。 This work is full of the descriptive， literary fiction-style writing that many enjoy， but for me， it really slowed down the plot and I thought the beginning was really slow。 I loved the relationship with Theresa Many thank yous to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for this honest review。 My final book of 2021！The premise of this book is fabulous - Violeta is telling her life story through letters to her grandson， and I was immediately attracted to the concept。 This work is full of the descriptive， literary fiction-style writing that many enjoy， but for me， it really slowed down the plot and I thought the beginning was really slow。 I loved the relationship with Theresa and Miss Taylor， and thought that was an important point to tie in， and the story started picking up a bit when she was talking about her marriage and her children - until then， I might’ve actually put this one aside to come back to because it was so slow moving。 This is my first book by this author， so I’m not sure if this is her normal style。Overall， great concept and nice literary style of writing， but fell a bit short for me to really grab my attention。 It was just okay。 。。。more
Lady Fancifull
，
100 years of a life in an unnamed Chile， bookended by pandemics Violeta recounts her life， as the first person narrator of Isabel Allende’s latest novel， within the structure of a confessional and history， both personal and political， written for ‘Camilo’ whose identity becomes clear during the course of the novel。Born in 1920， to a rather privileged family， the first disasters loom early when the Spanish Flu hits South America， a year or so after it ravaged Europe。 Violeta is the only daughter 100 years of a life in an unnamed Chile， bookended by pandemics Violeta recounts her life， as the first person narrator of Isabel Allende’s latest novel， within the structure of a confessional and history， both personal and political， written for ‘Camilo’ whose identity becomes clear during the course of the novel。Born in 1920， to a rather privileged family， the first disasters loom early when the Spanish Flu hits South America， a year or so after it ravaged Europe。 Violeta is the only daughter in a family of boys， spoiled， wilful， tempestuous and a handful。 Raised in part by a governess from Britain， changing family circumstances as the Depression hits， sees her brought up within a still loving， less urban， and more radical group of peopleThe twists and turns of Violeta’s own life play out against the history of her country， swinging between democracy and dictatorship。This is very much a family saga， and much more anchored to realism than Allende’s early ‘magic realism’ writings。Violeta herself is a flawed， likeable person， who makes many mistakes， （as do most of us！） often in response to the madness of love。 She is fiery， open hearted， but also open minded， and develops hugely over her very long life。 This book teems with a multiplicity of well drawn， complex characters， from quite a wide canvas of backgrounds and cultures。I wasn’t completely satisfied with the structure of the ‘document’ which Violeta is writing for ‘Camilo’ – it is the account of her whole 100 year old life， and some of it is already known to the recipient， though the earlier parts may not have been。Nonetheless， Violeta’s world is one I surrendered to。3。5 rating， raised 。。。more
Meghan Hendershot
，
This was a gorgeous， lush story。 The language itself was enough to the hook the reader from the beginning and hold them all the way through。 This book brought new perspective to our current plight and gave me hope for the future。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece and can't wait for more from Ms Allende。 This was a gorgeous， lush story。 The language itself was enough to the hook the reader from the beginning and hold them all the way through。 This book brought new perspective to our current plight and gave me hope for the future。 I thoroughly enjoyed reading this piece and can't wait for more from Ms Allende。 。。。more
Sara
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Violeta's life story spans a century， from one pandemic to another。It will appeal to fans of family sagas， to those who enjoy literature with feminist themes， and to anyone looking to escape into a narrative that is detailed， rich and a little magical。The translation appeared seamless - I forgot I was reading a work that had been translated into English。I don't want to give too much detail as I don't want to spoil it， but it seemed as though every aspect of the story had been thought out very we Violeta's life story spans a century， from one pandemic to another。It will appeal to fans of family sagas， to those who enjoy literature with feminist themes， and to anyone looking to escape into a narrative that is detailed， rich and a little magical。The translation appeared seamless - I forgot I was reading a work that had been translated into English。I don't want to give too much detail as I don't want to spoil it， but it seemed as though every aspect of the story had been thought out very well。Many characters are featured， and I came to love the lovable ones very dearly， and to be glad if and when the less lovable ones received their just desserts。The imagery of the tropical settings and city scenes alike was excellent。Overall， I would really recommend this book。 Review copy supplied by NetGalley 。。。more
B。S。 Casey
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Violeta arrived on this world on a dark and stormy day in 1920， a hundred years ago。 The first daughter amongst five sons， her birth is the first of many extraordinary moments in her life。 The Great War has left a mark on the world， the Spanish Flu is ravaging its way through her homeland and the Great Depression is looming in the not-so-distant future， waiting to threaten the life she has always known。 And this is just the start for Violeta as she grows into a beautiful young woman in an ever-c Violeta arrived on this world on a dark and stormy day in 1920， a hundred years ago。 The first daughter amongst five sons， her birth is the first of many extraordinary moments in her life。 The Great War has left a mark on the world， the Spanish Flu is ravaging its way through her homeland and the Great Depression is looming in the not-so-distant future， waiting to threaten the life she has always known。 And this is just the start for Violeta as she grows into a beautiful young woman in an ever-changing world。 Now， after an entire century of life， Violeta pauses to write a letter to her precious Grandson， one she has loved more than most， reliving a journey of love and loss， and of major turning points in modern history through her own eyes。There's a reason that Allende is the undisputed Queen of magical realism - she invokes a sense of beauty and wonder， finding light even in the darkest of nights。 And we definitely go through darkness throughout this epic novel - wars， pandemics， poverty and loss are just some of the trials Violeta lives through， along with the harsh truths about being a woman and a Mother even a hundred years ago and the dangers it held simply to exist。 Told through a poignant and touchingly honest letter， Violeta not only manages to convey striking emotion but stunningly mesmerising settings and gentle， almost poem-like prose that flows seamlessly into one another like a dream。 Allende knows there is love at the heart of every story - and never fails to bring it to the surface and reveal it with tenderness and joy。 。。。more
Megan
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Isabel Allende is the queen of the family saga， and this book absolutely wrecked me。 It begins in 1920 Chile， where Violeta is born at the time of the Spanish flu。 It then follows her 100-year life， and the political changes and violence that take place in Chile， all the way until the COVID pandemic of 2020。 （To be clear， this is not a book about COVID， though it is mentioned briefly at the end。） This is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of Violeta's life， detailing loves and losses amongst tu Isabel Allende is the queen of the family saga， and this book absolutely wrecked me。 It begins in 1920 Chile， where Violeta is born at the time of the Spanish flu。 It then follows her 100-year life， and the political changes and violence that take place in Chile， all the way until the COVID pandemic of 2020。 （To be clear， this is not a book about COVID， though it is mentioned briefly at the end。） This is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of Violeta's life， detailing loves and losses amongst turmoil。 Isabel Allende is quickly becoming a must-read author for me。 I love historical fiction that teaches you something， and I have learned so much about Chile's turbulent history through her books。 I highly recommend picking this one up and immersing yourself in Violeta's story。 。。。more
larayne harris
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This book gripped me from the beginning。 Violeta tells her life story to her grandson as she reaches the end of her long life。 It is set against the history of South America， particularly Chile。 This is not a history I knew much about。 Violeta led a long， prosperous life， despite the many upheavals tragedies and unpleasant experiences she had， some of her own making。！ Although written entirely from her own perspective， it never faltered or became long winded。 I highly recommend this book to all。
Cynthia
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First， thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review。This book is the story of Violeta Del Valle， who at 100 years old， writes down the story of her life for her grandson， Camilo。 In this story， Violeta tells Camilo about those she loved， her two husbands and an obsessive affair with a man who also brutalized her。 Violeta became a successful business woman in her own right; and was at the forefront of women’s and pol First， thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an unbiased review。This book is the story of Violeta Del Valle， who at 100 years old， writes down the story of her life for her grandson， Camilo。 In this story， Violeta tells Camilo about those she loved， her two husbands and an obsessive affair with a man who also brutalized her。 Violeta became a successful business woman in her own right; and was at the forefront of women’s and political issues。 She sadly didn’t find true love and compassion until much later in life。 I’ve enjoyed several Isabel Allende books， including a few I loved: House of Spirits， The Japanese Lover and Daughter of Fortune。 Violeta wasn’t one of my favorites。 It dragged for me and I looked forward to finishing it。 On a positive note， as always Allende offers strong characters; and a beautiful – but maybe better edited – narrative – her ability to help you visualize location and landscape is one of the best。 It had a lot of darkness， was very intense and I felt it jumped around so it was confusing at times。 I didn’t pick up on the narrative style until much later in the book so I wondered to whom the author or protagonist was speaking for much of the book。 。。。more
Devin Mainville
，
In my quest to read more internationally led me to Violeta， an epic saga of one woman’s life that encompasses a century of Chilean （and world） history。 Written as a letter to her grandson， the novel follows Violeta’s life， from her birth in 1920 during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu to her death in 2020 in the midst of our current pandemic。 I went into this knowing virtually nothing about Chile， so I really enjoyed learning more about its history - which is why I want to read books set all over In my quest to read more internationally led me to Violeta， an epic saga of one woman’s life that encompasses a century of Chilean （and world） history。 Written as a letter to her grandson， the novel follows Violeta’s life， from her birth in 1920 during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu to her death in 2020 in the midst of our current pandemic。 I went into this knowing virtually nothing about Chile， so I really enjoyed learning more about its history - which is why I want to read books set all over the world in the first place。 I also really enjoyed Violeta as a character， but the letter format didn’t work for me。 It felt too much like a listing of events than an immersive experience。 Like any life， there were interesting bits， but also bits that dragged。 The pacing felt odd， with a lot of time spent on Violet’s childhood and her later years breezed through in summary。 Overall， I enjoyed it more than I didn’t。 Many thanks to Ballantine and NetGalley for the #ARC。 。。。more
Coffee
，
Love， love， love！First I want to thank Random House /Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC。 If you weren't already a fan of Isabelle Allende then you will be after reading Violeta。Violeta was born in 1920 when the Spanish Flu reached the shores of her South American country。 Thus begins the incredible life of Violeta which reads like a memoir that she has written for her grandson， Camilo。 She recounts her life of prosperity and poverty， love and loss， democracy and Love， love， love！First I want to thank Random House /Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC。 If you weren't already a fan of Isabelle Allende then you will be after reading Violeta。Violeta was born in 1920 when the Spanish Flu reached the shores of her South American country。 Thus begins the incredible life of Violeta which reads like a memoir that she has written for her grandson， Camilo。 She recounts her life of prosperity and poverty， love and loss， democracy and fascism。 A century later she passes away during another pandemic。The beauty of Allende's storytelling draws you in and doesn't let go。 You celebrate and grieve along with Violeta as she navigates through a life filled with family， lovers， and children in a country that has crashed into a dark time。 My eyes filled with tears at the end as she bestows her last words of wisdom on to her grandson and embraces her death with calm and peace。 。。。more
Jill
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Wow， what a book！ It’s an incredible story， so full of meaning and relevance to our existence。 I was drawn into Violeta’s life from the very beginning and travelled with her until her death 100 years later。 The text is beautifully written， and all the characters come to life。 This is the first novel of Isabel Allende that I have read， and it certainly won’t be the last。 A truly gifted writer who does not mince her words and tells a story from the heart。 When I reached the conclusion I confess to Wow， what a book！ It’s an incredible story， so full of meaning and relevance to our existence。 I was drawn into Violeta’s life from the very beginning and travelled with her until her death 100 years later。 The text is beautifully written， and all the characters come to life。 This is the first novel of Isabel Allende that I have read， and it certainly won’t be the last。 A truly gifted writer who does not mince her words and tells a story from the heart。 When I reached the conclusion I confess to shedding a tear for the heroine I had lost。My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Press for the opportunity to read this advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tasha
，
4。5 rounded up to 5Gosh this woman can write， the words just flow effortlessly and beautifully。 If you like/love Allende's writing then you will no doubt love this one as well， maybe even more so than her other works。 While I enjoyed the story， for me it's the writing that drew me back each time to this story。 It's the writing that also bumps this 4。5 star read to 5 stars。 I loved that we followed Violeta from her start in to the world to her exit from this world and everything in between; her l 4。5 rounded up to 5Gosh this woman can write， the words just flow effortlessly and beautifully。 If you like/love Allende's writing then you will no doubt love this one as well， maybe even more so than her other works。 While I enjoyed the story， for me it's the writing that drew me back each time to this story。 It's the writing that also bumps this 4。5 star read to 5 stars。 I loved that we followed Violeta from her start in to the world to her exit from this world and everything in between; her life， the times， the generations and the events。 Beautifully done， I'll read anything more Allende writes in the future。 Thank you to Netgalley， Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and the author for a free ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
AtomicBooks
，
This is a book like no other。 It is an incredible read， a real emotional rollercoaster of a read in fact， as I sit here having finished the book feeling quite teary。 This book is called Violeta but this story is as much about the country she lives in and its journey as it is about her， and for that reason I was quite surprised to find myself so affected by the story but both Violeta and Chile have had a bigger impact on me than I realised。。 It is a remarkable story that spans 100 years and neatl This is a book like no other。 It is an incredible read， a real emotional rollercoaster of a read in fact， as I sit here having finished the book feeling quite teary。 This book is called Violeta but this story is as much about the country she lives in and its journey as it is about her， and for that reason I was quite surprised to find myself so affected by the story but both Violeta and Chile have had a bigger impact on me than I realised。。 It is a remarkable story that spans 100 years and neatly starts and ends with a pandemic。 The story is written in the form of a letter and is biographic in style This story flows so well and although it is easy to read it is an incredibly powerful story of one country and one woman’s journey through life。 。。。more
Anne
，
This novel follows 100 years in the life of Violeta from 1920 to 2020 in a South American country which I assumed to be Chile。Violeta is a delightfully flawed character and daring for the time in which this was set。 Isabel Allende takes us on an enjoyable history lesson with sweeping descriptions of the events of this period。Like a lot of British I imagine， I have very little knowledge of South American involvement in world events like WW2 and the Cold War and so I did learn things as well as en This novel follows 100 years in the life of Violeta from 1920 to 2020 in a South American country which I assumed to be Chile。Violeta is a delightfully flawed character and daring for the time in which this was set。 Isabel Allende takes us on an enjoyable history lesson with sweeping descriptions of the events of this period。Like a lot of British I imagine， I have very little knowledge of South American involvement in world events like WW2 and the Cold War and so I did learn things as well as enjoying the fiction。Thank you to Netgalley， the publisher and the author for a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Melissa
，
Utterly readable - I was entirely absorbed in the writing。 The narrator was not entirely likeable， and certainly made some mistakes in life; but who amongst us hasn’t I guess。Really historically interesting - it spans a full century， from pandemic to pandemic。
Becca for Paperback Treasures
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Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors， I think I've read every single one of her books， and I will always pick up one of her books。 I've been really lucky that for her last couple of books that I have received early access to provide a review。 Allende is a Chilean author and many of her recent works incorporate the Pinochet dictatorship in some aspect。 It seems as though in her older age， Allende is attempting to reconcile events that touched her and her loved ones lives so closely。 It's Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors， I think I've read every single one of her books， and I will always pick up one of her books。 I've been really lucky that for her last couple of books that I have received early access to provide a review。 Allende is a Chilean author and many of her recent works incorporate the Pinochet dictatorship in some aspect。 It seems as though in her older age， Allende is attempting to reconcile events that touched her and her loved ones lives so closely。 It's resulted in some of her most personal works and Violeta lands among those works。 The book traces the life of Violeta from her birth in 1920 through her death in 2020 through a journal that goes to her grandson。 You are immediately immersed into the lives of the family from their depths of poverty to immense highs。 It is both intensely personal and beautifully written。 It is so easy to get lost in the lyrical writing of Allende and Violeta is worth picking up after its upcoming release。 Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the early access in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Amy
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Unfortunately， this is a DNF for me。 Disappointing， because I love Isabel Allende’s books。 The writing is good， beautiful in places， but the way this story is told is very off-putting。 Because the book is written as a long letter from a 100-year-old woman to her grandson， I found it hard to get invested in the issues presented， or to connect to the characters emotionally。 I wanted to be drawn into the lives of the characters， to be immersed in the events which were being narrated - and that is t Unfortunately， this is a DNF for me。 Disappointing， because I love Isabel Allende’s books。 The writing is good， beautiful in places， but the way this story is told is very off-putting。 Because the book is written as a long letter from a 100-year-old woman to her grandson， I found it hard to get invested in the issues presented， or to connect to the characters emotionally。 I wanted to be drawn into the lives of the characters， to be immersed in the events which were being narrated - and that is the problem， this was a story being told， not one the reader can get lost in。 。。。more
mary
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The novel enraptures one women's view of her life of 100 years during the last century， Isabelle Allende is a wonderful writer and I enjoyed this novel。 the book。 An epic novel that has gorgeous prose， Enjoyed reading this The novel enraptures one women's view of her life of 100 years during the last century， Isabelle Allende is a wonderful writer and I enjoyed this novel。 the book。 An epic novel that has gorgeous prose， Enjoyed reading this 。。。more
Tatiana
，
It was actually a bit weird to read Isabel Allende's work in English， as I've always read her books in the original Spanish， but not even translating it the words lose that Spanish kind of writing， so characteristic。 Violeta is a story about a woman that was born in 1920 in the middle of the flue pandemic and died in 2020 in the middle of the covid pandemic。 She is a normal woman that live， like so many other people at a time like this one living through lots of changes and important events in It was actually a bit weird to read Isabel Allende's work in English， as I've always read her books in the original Spanish， but not even translating it the words lose that Spanish kind of writing， so characteristic。 Violeta is a story about a woman that was born in 1920 in the middle of the flue pandemic and died in 2020 in the middle of the covid pandemic。 She is a normal woman that live， like so many other people at a time like this one living through lots of changes and important events in the world。 From epidemics， to economic crisis， war a military coup and a dictatorship。 The story is so close that reading it I thought it could very well be the story of my great grandmother who lived similar situation of military coup and dictatorship a few years before Violeta， in Spain instead of chile。 It actually feels like I was sitting in my grandma's living room with the TV in the background while she tells me the story of her mother's life。 And I think that is actually the feeling that book want to provoke in the reader。 The beginning of the book is slow but gripping， you want to keep going to know how she grows who she becomes， the most attractive thing for me is that Violeta is a normal woman， not special intelligent specialy beautiful or with an incredible luck and adventures， she narrates the changes and ugliness of the world， lots of things that happend in America Latina and the rest of the world， from her point of view， privileged in the most part， but not withouthardship。The story is told in the form of the letters violeta writes to Camilo when she is almost in her deathbed。 and at the last quarter of the book feels a bit weird that she is telling him so many things that he already know cause he has lived them， but at that point of the story you are so deeply invested in the story that you won't care about that weirdness and in a few more pages you simply get used to it。 In resume a great book that made me feel nostalgic and inspired and that also made me cry a lot。 A great read。 。。。more
Jessica Dai
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I really wanted to like this as I think house of the spirits is still one of my all-time favorites， but this felt like it lacked the spark（？） that drove house -- which， while also a generational story told over decades of political turmoil （and varying degrees of complicity） -- felt orchestral or maybe symphonic while violeta felt more like an extended rambling without a core engine underneath， and with no clear endpoint beyond the narrator's death。 :（ （I received an ARC although I suppose my re I really wanted to like this as I think house of the spirits is still one of my all-time favorites， but this felt like it lacked the spark（？） that drove house -- which， while also a generational story told over decades of political turmoil （and varying degrees of complicity） -- felt orchestral or maybe symphonic while violeta felt more like an extended rambling without a core engine underneath， and with no clear endpoint beyond the narrator's death。 :（ （I received an ARC although I suppose my review is way too late to be particularly useful） 。。。more
Bobbi Wagner
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I enjoyed this historical story that takes place during the 1920s。 It is a story about a woman who has passion， determination， inspirational who adds humor to her life。 This is a well written story that is fast paced and hard to put down。 Violeta is a great character and great inspiration for all women alike。 She is connectable and made the story for me。 I enjoyed the author's writing style as well as her attention to details that made her characters come to life on the pages。 The growth of the I enjoyed this historical story that takes place during the 1920s。 It is a story about a woman who has passion， determination， inspirational who adds humor to her life。 This is a well written story that is fast paced and hard to put down。 Violeta is a great character and great inspiration for all women alike。 She is connectable and made the story for me。 I enjoyed the author's writing style as well as her attention to details that made her characters come to life on the pages。 The growth of the characters is great throughout the story and made the story entertaining to read。 This is an easy story to read and you don't want to miss out on this one。 I really enjoyed the emotional roller coaster ride I was taken on。 This is a great pick up and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Zoe M
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Set over 100 years this is the story of Violeta and told as a letter to Camilo and the highs and horrors she endured。 It tells of the atrocities in South America。 I was aware of some of the historical events that had happened but some I had not known。 Very moving， hard to put down you could feel her pain and fears。 Its my first read by this author but I will be looking out for more。
Emma Hardy
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I don't think that this could be more beautiful。 Its divine。 Lots of personal stories woven through the narrative and I felt immersed into Violeta's world。The prose written is gorgeous。Although this starts with the spanish flu， and hints at the end of covid， this does not dictate the story or play a central part。 It moves on very quickly from this， so don't let it deter you，This spans over 100years and a lot is covered in Violeta's life。Courageous， intriguing， captivating。 I don't think that this could be more beautiful。 Its divine。 Lots of personal stories woven through the narrative and I felt immersed into Violeta's world。The prose written is gorgeous。Although this starts with the spanish flu， and hints at the end of covid， this does not dictate the story or play a central part。 It moves on very quickly from this， so don't let it deter you，This spans over 100years and a lot is covered in Violeta's life。Courageous， intriguing， captivating。 。。。more
Anne
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Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and author for this ARC。 This is my first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 The story spans 100 years and I really liked that it was told in the form of a letter， from Violeta to a loved one。 I loved the authors writing style， and felt the story came together beautifully， it flowed really well and was a joy to read。 Violeta was very likeable， strong， and determined character and I was enthralled with all she went through in her life。 There wer Thank you to NetGalley， the publisher and author for this ARC。 This is my first read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it。 The story spans 100 years and I really liked that it was told in the form of a letter， from Violeta to a loved one。 I loved the authors writing style， and felt the story came together beautifully， it flowed really well and was a joy to read。 Violeta was very likeable， strong， and determined character and I was enthralled with all she went through in her life。 There were a couple of characters I wasn’t over keen on although this didn’t take anything away from what was a very good read。 The story was nicely paced， sad at times， poignant and very well written。 I was drawn in from the first page to the last and devoured this book in two days。 I will definitely look at the authors other books in the future。 。。。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