Isabel Allende demonstrates her masterful story telling abilities in her saga about Violeta Del Valle that spans 100 years from her birth in 1920 until her death in 2020. Violeta's story is written in the form of a letter to her grandson towards the end of her life. Writing from the vantage point of someone who has had time to reflect on a long and amazing life full of opportunities, passions, and losses gave Violeta a strong and thoughtful voice. There were many times in the book that I had to pause and think about Violeta's experiences. From Violetta's birth in 1920 during the Spanish flu epidemic until her death during a pandemic, there were many historical events that affected Violeta. After The Great Depression, her family lost everything in the city and had to begin a different life in the country. Through all of the changes and upheavals, Violeta demonstrated an ability to adapt to new circumstances, no matter how difficult. Violeta's determination, passion, and sense of humor gave her the skills needed to adjust to a changing world and to deal with both the personal tragedies and uplifting moments of her long life. Even after you have read the last page, this book will continue to resonate with you.

Isabel Allende is one of my very favorite authors. She writes beautifully and never ceases to amaze me with her epic storytelling. I've enjoyed everything she has written. I was fascinated that this entire novel is written as a letter from Violeta Del Valle to her grandson, Camil0 It is filled with her memories of a life well-lived and contains the joys and tears of her lifetime. Violeta's life spans 100 years. She was born in 1920 during the Spanish flu and died in 2020 at the start of the coronavirus. She lived through two pandemics, earthquakes, hurricanes, the Great Depression, a World War, political upheaval her home country in South America. She recounts times of both poverty and wealth, domestic abuse, her daughter's struggle with drug addiction, and the various men she loved during her life. This is a story of family and relationships, of growing up and building a meaningful life.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published January 25, 2022.

Violeta, the main character, was born in 1920 as the Spanish Flu pandemic reached her unnamed South American country. This book details the hundred years of her life that ends during the Covid pandemic, including marriages, children, revolutions, and deaths.

I wanted to like this story more than I did. It is a well-written, well-researched book. It also is filled with every controversial subject that has happened in the past 100 years - suffrage, divorce, abortion, same-sex relationships, fascism, socialism, drug abuse, physical abuse, adultery, religion, wealth redistribution, and more. At times, this reads like a propaganda piece from the far-left as the author goes from topic to topic in Violeta's life, instead of a novel about aging, wisdom, and seeing the waves of change over the course of time.

Not family friendly due to language, sex, and adult themes.

Violeta , the youngest of five male siblings was born during the the pandemic in 1918 and passed away during the current pandemic. This story spans 100 years of Violeta' s life , her family, their relationships and how events in history shaped their lives.
Violeta , lives in South America, and as her story is shared with us, we see the inequality, challenges, the struggles and most of all her resilience .
Violeta shares her life in a letter to her grandson that she has raised.
This novel is beautifully written as all Allende novels I have read .
Many thanks to Netgalley for an opportunity to read this ARC.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of Violeta.
The story and most of the characters I loved (of course not Julien Bravo). A remarkable epic story spanning 100 years, of family, friends that become family and trials and tribulations of their intersecting lives.
I was pleasantly engrossed in the characters, story and writing.
I will be looking forward to reading more from Ms. Allende

Extremely grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to enjoy/escape into the world of Violeta. Ms. Allende’s; Violeta captured my attention from the first few pages. Her smooth writing style feels like a family conversation filled with personalities, history and passion. My first impression of Violeta as a child was spirited and spoiled, then she won my heart after the tutelage of Miss Taylor. Both Violeta & Miss Taylor’s characters uncoiled to create intrigue as they followed their heartfelt personal truths. Violeta’s decision to follow her passion in love was an adventure I didn’t always understand but it was Violeta’s adventure, filled with historical facts and courage. I would be amiss if I didn’t say how much I enjoyed every character in her book, Teresa Rivas, Jose Antonio, Roy Cooper, Torito to name a few. Ms. Allende does not disappoint.

If you are the kind of person who would love to sit down with your grandma and hear her talk for hours about everything she’s ever lived through, Violeta may be the perfect book for you. Written as a letter from a nearly 100-year-old woman to her beloved grandson, this novel feels exactly like that sort of conversation.

Violeta has lived through the Spanish flu pandemic of 1920, the Great Depression, civil unrest, and political upheaval. Her life has been shaped by poverty, social ruin, and many meaningful relationships, and through her letter, she endeavors to impart her story and experiences to the next generation.

I expected to love this book, but it didn’t quite work for me. The storyline felt more like a narrated historical timeline than an actual plot, and the book itself more like a memoir or an autobiography—a chronological collection of memories throughout a lifetime, some more detailed than others, but none lingering long enough to leave a lasting impression on anyone but the narrator who holds them in their recollection.

I enjoyed and appreciated Isabel Allende’s subtle, nuanced commentary on the important issues woven into the fabric of Violeta’s story—women’s rights, social hierarchy & class, sexual identity, loss—but all of that seemed to get lost in the decades of history being recapped. Not a bad book, but probably not one I will remember as particularly meaningful.

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Thank you to Isabel Allende, Ballantine, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Violeta is the story of one woman's life in tumultuous Argentina, bookended by the influenza pandemic of 1919/20 and the Covid pandemic of 2020. While I've stayed away from most books that mention the pandemic (it feels too soon!), I trust Allende, and that trust was not misplaced. She handled a very raw topic with a grace and lightness that felt comfortable, almost like a passing breeze.

One thing that struck me throughout the reading of Violeta was how it gave a beautiful sense of scale to the trajectory of a life. I love how many times Violeta fell in love, how many times she allowed herself to change her mind and how the phases of her existence blended seamlessly together. Allende is a masterful writer who allows her characters to flow through time, influenced by but not buried underneath the weight of the world around them. This is a gorgeous read.

Allende has done it again! Written as a letter to her grandson, Violeta is a delicious novel that spans the century from 1920 - 2020. Violeta is born during the Spanish flu pandemic and dies during the coronavirus pandemic. Her 100 years spent in an unnamed Latin American country and US are full of drama, from her family growing up to the family she creates. Violeta spends her youth in the capital and then in the desolate southern countryside where she learns to love the land and its people. She is headstrong and determined to make a life for herself, not follow the one that her mother, maiden aunts and brother have planned for her. Violeta is successful in business, has a tumultuous affair which results in 2 children, all while living through the country's experiment with democracy and the subsequent years of brutal military dictatorship.

Allende's character development is flawless, as we learn to love and understand Violeta and her decisions. Her sense of place brings us to this unnamed country, its capital, its city and its countryside. The reader can see the land and its people, feel the stress of the authoritarian government and the love of the family that Violeta ultimately creates.

Anyone who loves epic novels, Latin America and beautiful writing should read Violeta. The fluidity of the prose alone is enough to pick up this book. I highly recommend.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Ballantine for an ARC copy.

Isabel Allende’s new book, Violeta, is a family saga set in South America about a woman who follows her heart through many good and bad choices. At 100 years old, Violeta documents her life in a letter to her beloved grandson. She has endured abuse, scandal, political unrest, war and of course, true love. As usual, Allende melds historical events with personal stories and challenges. I enjoyed this book although I found some parts to go on too long for my taste.

As Violeta nears her 100th year, she writes her memoir to her grandson. Her life often parallels the turbulence experienced in her Latin American country of origin. She marries a man she doesn't really love and then leaves him for a passionate lover, who is also a liar and a violent man. At the same time her country is facing political turmoil with a great deal of violence perpetrated on the people. Throughout this time Violeta prospers financially because she has good business sense. However, her personal life is a shambles and much sadness and grief follows her. Violeta's 100 years covers every emotion and circumstance that can be imagined but because of her inner strength and determination, she prospers both financially and emotionally. She learns to love and be loved and to enjoy life with all its prosperity and pain.
Allende writes beautifully and has a magical way of interweaving the politics of the nation with the lives of ordinary people. This is a cautionary tale of dictatorship and evil but also a message of hope and love.

Violeta is the new book by Isabel Allende. I have read almost all of Allende's books and enjoyed them. This book, however, reminded me of my favorites that she has written. It is in the style of Daughter of
Fortune and some of her earlier works. Violeta is telling her grandson her life story. He was raised by her when his mother died, so they have a special relationship. Violeta has lived an interesting and full life, and has survived many of the difficulties that women face. She has been rich and poor, was both adored and abused, and gives an honest depiction of her life. This is an epic novel that examines political upheaval and relationship issues in a style that is purely Allende. I enjoyed this book and want to thank Netgalley and Random House Ballantine Publishing for giving me an opportunity to preview this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an incredible journey through time! The life of. Violeta is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with everything in between! The history woven into this beautiful story was truly eye opening for this American reader. I highly recommend this book and thank #netgalley for the requested ARC.

This book was a joy to read and I was sorry when it was over. Allende's wonderful storytelling captured me from the start.

I love Isabel Allende. I learn so much history from her stuff. She writes rich, complex characters. Her writing is always descriptive. She puts you in the time and place with no trouble. Her women are so strong and smart and way ahead of their time. Violeta is one of them. From her relationships with her family to her husband, Fabian, and Julian, the father of her children, she shows strength. I did not like the Roy Cooper angle. Kind of felt thrown in. This book was wonderful and made me cry many times.

At 100 years old, Violeta documents her life in a letter to her grandson. It was quite a tumultuous life, filled with scandal, political intrigue, abuse, family drama, wars...there was never a dull moment. This is one of my favorite Allende books because there were so many surprises and I learned a little history along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved the first half and read it very quickly. The second half did not catch me like the first half. I really lived the characters and the stores. Will definitely recommend it to others. I love Allende’s works and the worlds she creates.

I must admit that I am big fan of Isabel Allende, and Violeta does not disappoint. You quickly get swept into another world with different customs and politics, and romance between unlikely characters. Violeta is a strong woman who survives through many challenges, learning but not disillusioned. I love how the author just sort of chatters on as if a good friend was telling you a story, offhandedly throwing in juicy bits or teasing that she’ll get back to some aspect later.
I am so late reading a nonfiction for my book club…. But I can’t put this one down!

Thank you to Net Galley and Ballentine Books for providing me an advanced reader’s copy of the English version of an incredible new book by acclaimed novelist Isabel Allende.

Allende tells her story in the form of a letter about her 100-year life to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

The family came through that crisis unscathed, only to face new ones as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she comes of age, and she marries her first suitor.

She leaves a loveless marriage as a young woman, found great passion and late in life found the true love of her life. She endured trials and tribulations all through her life, and she never wavered. She was successful in international business, but that was not the driving factor in her life. With all the ups and downs throughout her life, she was able to overcome each with grace and good humor. and their impacts on her characters.

Allende’s latest book is another example of her gift of epic storytelling. This gorgeous novel may be my favorite Allende epic of all time.

This beautiful work of art spans 100 year life of our beautiful Violeta. The words flow eloquently and the story mesmerizing. Violeta spends her life in South America and has many personal relationships and experiences throughout her long life.
Enjoy this beautifully written book.