I want to thank Random House - Ballantine for allowing me to read and review 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.”
This novel covers the life of Violeta Del Valle from an idyllic beginning in Latin America. Her life is told in the first person as a journal to her. grandson. The history spans time from 1920 to 2020, from the Spanish Flu to COVID-19.
This is an interesting book but overly long.
Violeta publishes January 25, 2022.

The title of the book is the main character, fictional and I would guess a composite of many women in the author’s life.It is written in epistolary form to the “ love of her life”- her grandson Camilo, recounting her astounding life of 100 years 1820-1920, born in the Spanish flu pandemic and dying in the Coronavirus one. Allende accomplishes the “impossible”-she makes her characters and the countries alive and vivid and heartfelt, and at the same time creates through her and their stories a work of historical fiction-the depression , the Great War, the revolution in Cuba, the “hippie and drug culture,the intrigues of the Mafia and corrupt dictatorial governments in South America, Jesuit “ liberation theology” in South America- in short, the major events in her lifespan. Patagonia and adjacent area of Chile are portrayed as achingly beautiful as portrayed, and the cruelty of the dictatorships are even now still commemorated in the countries. The final chapter, as she is dying and contemplates her life and what may exist after, should be read at least twice.
Good read-and a life “ well lived”.

This was an enjoyable and informative novel covering the last 100 years in Chile. The first half was more interesting than the rest of the book. The second half of the book started to drag a bit. Lots and lots of characters who are well defined.

Violeta opens with a letter to “Dear Camilo”, introducing this testimony of the 100 year life of Violeta del Valle. The identity of “Camilo” and his relationship to Violeta isn’t revealed until later in the saga. She is the only girl in a large family of sons, and her early
years take us thru the Spanish flu, the Great War and the Depression. A strong sense of place permeates the novel as the reader experiences the lush South American setting as well as cold, pure Norway. Much South American history comes alive in the form of military coos, guerilla organizations, drug wars, et.c. Violeta loved freely, “I’ve lived too long to believe in something as ridiculous as a vow of chastity”. The longest and most colorful relationship was with Julian, the father of her children. His job as a pilot with questionable motives took him all over the world. A successful businesswoman, Violeta worked tirelessly to promote education and equal rights for women. Even though this is a work of fiction, I couldn’t help but wonder if some of Violetas adventures could have actually been experienced by Isabella Allende. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review in my own words.
#Violeta. #NetGalley

Violeta’s very long letter to her grandson reveals her life and his origins. Her life is bookended by pandemics. Between the Spanish flu of 1920 and the COVID of 2020, we see her move from place to place in order to survive. Her personal life reflects the turmoil, abuse and violence experienced by her country. Through the three principal relationships in her life she learns what real love is. Facing revolutions, demonstrations, democracies and dictatorships, she suffers great loss and realizes the importance of those who influence her most as her role models. Isabel Allende’s protagonist is memorable; unfortunately, for this reader, her epistolary style packed too many stories, especially toward the end of the work. It became a novel within a novel and grew tedious to read.

I enjoy this author and have read numerous of her books. I found this book to be interesting and enjoyed learning about living and growing up in South America. Having written the previous statement, I felt that the book drug at the end and I had trouble finishing it.

I am a big fan of Isabel Allende and was so excited to receive an advanced reader’s copy of her latest historical fiction novel. The author once again demonstrates her amazing storytelling talent. This novel focuses on the 100 year life of Violeta Del Valle. Her story is told through a letter she writes to her grandson, Camilo. I really enjoyed this form of storytelling and definitely recommend this book.

If you love Isabel Allende’s books, you’ll love Violeta also. In this book she focuses on one character, Violeta, and the people in her life. As usual the political upheavals in Chile play an important part of the story too. Violeta’s life spans a century and this story is her “sentimental legacy”.

One thing I personally missed in this book was a touch of magical realism which is a trademark of most of Allende’s books. I also felt like the mention of the current pandemic might have been added at the last minute, but I guess you can’t have a story end in 2020 without mentioning it.

This story followed Allende’s typical motifs and structure. A bit repetitive for me having read The House of the Spirits recently. A solid read, but not great for me.

Thank you to #NetGalley for this #VioletaEnglishEdition advanced reader copy.

The life of Violeta Del Valle spans over one hundred years--from the Influenza pandemic of 1918 to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (as an aside, it is fascinating how many similarities there are between the two as Violeta describes them). Her amazing life is as broad and varied as her unnamed South American country and the entire Western hemisphere throughout the course of the 20th Century. (In the end her country doesn't need to be named as Chile for this to be apparent--perhaps it remains unnamed to make its plight and people more universal and relatable?).
I was absolutely sucked into Violeta's world. Time is fluid. Her narrative (she directs it to her grandson, Camilo)--encompasses the past and future while the present unfolds. It is so natural and real. It is also magical, as life and death and the living and dead all flow around and among each other. In typical fashion, Allende develops her characters (even minor ones) to the perfect level--some more than others, but always enough. Violeta's struggles, successes, and humanness are completely relatable and universal.
This book is completely new, but also holds similarities to other of Allende's works: it is written in the style of Ines of my Soul (to a younger relative), but progresses more like a modern House of the Spirits. It has the same semi-autobiographical feel, same traumas, same joys and disappointments for her and her country, but from a more mature and experienced perspective. Even so, it most definitely a whole new book, original and extremely readable. Entertaining and profound, I highly recommend Allende's latest installment as translated in this English edition.
I was extremely honored to receive an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I just reviewed Violeta [English Edition] by Isabel Allende. #VioletaEnglishEdition #NetGalley This review will be shared on Instagram, Amazon, and BN.com

When one approaches Violeta, billed as a book about a woman’s life which stretches from one pandemic to another, i.e. a century, it is tempting to compare it to The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, a romp through the decades. This does take us through the decades, but of course the author is Isabel Allende, and the decades are framed more with feminism than with comedy, though there is definitely some humor here as well. We learn more about South American culture and politics, and how history seems to repeat itself through time and across geography. Violeta herself is a sympathetic character though an imperfect human being and she recognizes this as she ages, and tries to make amends. Many of the other characters are portrayed with a bit of exaggeration. The story line keeps one interested, though it does drag a bit at the end when she gets more philosophical and less reactive to her situations. Still, it is a good read, and should be a good book to discuss.

Violeta was born during the Spanish flu epedeic and dies in the covid pandemic. That's a life span of 100 years and this amazing woman has quite a few experiences and transitions during them. She starts out a spoiled girl in an upper middle class home in the twenties and then has to leave that environment during the depression to the rural south of Chile and meets a number of loving and indelible characters who make a huge imprint on her life. She becomes a businesswoman, marries and leaves her husband for a passionate and troubled relationship with Julian Bravo who becomes the father of her two children, Jose Martin and Nieves. She is so busy running her business that she becomes a sort of absentee mother but makes up tor this later with her grandson Camilo, Nieves's surviving son and dotes on him. The entire book is a sort of diary to him of her life and all that she went through during the overthrow of the democratic government and subsequent repression and death squads that followed with CIA assistance in the early 70's. Among the murdered is a lifelong childhood hero of hers Torino, a kind and simple giant of a man who was often teased by people who didn't know him.. Before she dies she goes to Spain and makes a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostelo an ancient pilgrimage site visited by numerous people including middle age kings throughout the centuries to make her peace with God and prepare for the afterlife. I thank Ms. Allende for her marvelous book and Ballantine Books for the pleasure of allowing me to read this epic piece of work.

Violeta
By Isabel Allende

This is the story of a life – but also the story of a country. It is written as a memoir that Violeta is writing for her grandson, Camilo, a Catholic priest. Violeta was born in 1920 during the worldwide pandemic, and ironically, she is dying in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic.

Violeta's life is a long and interesting one. She has lived through all the major upheavals in Chile – has watched societies and governments rise and fall. She has been involved with men of all sorts; rogues, scoundrels, simple men, good-hearted men. And with her longevity comes the gift of having a bird's eye view of history.

As with all Allende's writings, she once again paints a clear picture of her homeland and allows us to share it with her.

I’m shocked by how this book covered so much history in such a readable format. If someone told me that I would read a story that spans 100 years in about 5 countries I would have assumed it was over 1,000 pages long. However this book expertly dives into the lives of many characters and pivotal historical touchstones without feeling drawn out. I loved many of these characters mentioned throughout. I also enjoyed how people introduced early on are later discovered to play important roles much later in the narrative. I typically don’t read historical fiction but this book was a welcomed surprise.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. I loved this incredible, century-long story set in Argentina, the U.S. and Norway. The characters literally leap from the page and are filled with flaws. The main character, Violeta, introduces the historical background as she bravely leads her family and handles the never-ending drama. I totally recommend this story to readers who enjoy historical fiction surrounded by the true adventure of the period.

I love reading books by Isabel Allende. The characters are always interesting and the issues facing them are often universal. She did not disappoint me with this book. I was drawn into the story immediately and it kept my attention until the end.

What a compelling read. I love the multi-generational storyline and their ability to survive. I highly recommend Violeta.

Another masterpiece from Isabel Allende! This book will make you laugh, cry and renew your hope in humanity. The way the author mixes fiction and historically accurate events is masterful. The stories of a wealthy family in South America after they lose it all after a coup, is told from the point of view of the youngest member, the baby of the family. As tragedy and good fortune enter and exit and enter again the life of Violeta Del Valle, we get to meet a wide arrange of people who will play important parts in her life and the lives of the people around her. Beautifully written, it is another must read from one of the best writers in the world. Thanks go to Random House and NetGalley for this advance copy for review.

Violeta is a coming of age story written in an epistolary style in a very long manuscript she sends to her grandson, Camilo. Violeta Del Valle came into the world with the Spanish influenza pandemic in 1920, and, now 100, faces the Coronavirus pandemic. There is a lot of “telling” here as Violeta packs a century’s worth of her incredible life as well as the salient world and Chilean events into 336 pages. After the world economy crashes with the Great Depression, her family is “exiled” to a farm in Nahuel in southern Chile. She finds herself while living a very modest life. As time passes, she also writes of her loves including her love affair with an abusive man (and Camilo’s grandfather). Allende firmly places Violeta’s life within changes women’s rights, religion, and politics as Chile moves from a fascist to a democratic government. The cover is lovely as well, matching the contents of the book.

This is the first Allende book I've read and there was a lot about this book I really enjoyed. Allende created a strong female character, the namesake of the book, who drives this sprawling story. I loved learning more about the span of her life- from the flu pandemic in 1919 to the COVID-19 pandemic today. Violeta is a passionate, brave and engaging heroine. What I didn't love about the book was it felt very surface-level. Because it spans 100 years, I felt like you never get too deep in any moment. This is also true for Violeta's retelling of her life- it never gets too deep or complex. This may be a result of the retelling of an entire life by a 100+ year old woman, so it may be an intentional format for this story, but it kept me wanting more- more understanding of the emotions and understandings that drove the action of the story. It was a great story, though.

I am a long time fan of Ms. Allende. I have seen her on book tours and have read a good many of her books. She is proficient in telling a beautiful historical tale infused with elements of truth, fiction and magical realism. This story is told through letters written to her grandson over a time span of 100 years-1920 to the present, taking us through the last 100 years of Chile's history and political theater. I am not a fan of this writing format but she has a lot to say. We see her life story through an honest and harsh lens which is something she excels at. She is sincere and apologetic with her story as we travel from the Spanish Flu up to the present pandemic. Themes that run through it are political persecution, domestic abuse, drugs, corruption, friendship, love and family. I will admit that at times it became a tedious read and I do attribute most of that to the format. I felt like I was outside of the story as opposed to being emotionally connected. Thus my 3.75 rating. I would like to thank Netgalley, the publisher and author for the ARC.
3.7+ rounded up