isabel allende a long petal of the sea review

USA Today called it a page-turning story rich with history and surprising subplots that keeps the novel unpredictable to the end, and also a reminder that these issues are made up of individuals and their love stories.

The novel has also been praised for its relevance to current issues of war, displacement, and the immigrant experience. It has also been named one of the best books of the year by various publications. The novel has received positive reviews, with The New York Times Book Review praising it as one of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date and one of the strongest and most affecting works in Allende’s long career. The novel is set in the late 1930s and spans several years, following the couple as they navigate their new lives in exile and their hope of returning home. A heavy book? No A long petal of the sea is a beautiful and compelling story that will reverberate in your head for a long time.Book club questions for “ A Long Petal of the Sea” by Isabel Allende explore the themes of hope, exile, and belonging through the story of two characters, Roser and Victor, who are forced to flee Spain during the civil war and embark on a journey to Chile. For example, it’s easy to see the parallel with the current situation of refugees on the borders of Europe when it comes to almost half million refugees who had to leave Spain when Franco came to power.Īllende knows how to describe the situation so strikingly that it immediately touches you. She impressively connects history with fictional characters, but it never gets unlikely. Allende is not afraid of the truth and describes violent details both down-to-earth and gripping. The book is about the fight against the dictatorship, in Spain but later also in Chile.

There are beautiful sidelines to the lives of their family members or other extras, through which you get to know the generations well.Īs Allende likes to do, these characters keep popping up. They live in turbulent times from the Spanish Civil War in 1939 to the relative peace in Chile in 1994.ĭuring that time, they experience the most horrifying things, but their lives are also enriched by heroism of others and lifelong friendships. You will become aware of your simple existence if you read about the violent events in the lives of the young doctor Victor and the pianist Roser. In this novel we are again treated to these trusted ingredients that undoubtedly drag us into the eventful lives of people like you and me. A long petal of the sea is yet another delightful novel about love, courage, injustice and fate that none other than Isabel Allende can write so beautifully about.

Isabel allende a long petal of the sea review