The only thing better than reading My Name is Emilia del Valle would be reading it in the original Spanish. It is truly a tour de force. The book starts with the story of her mother, Molly. The story then progresses to Emilia and how her natural assertiveness grows. Her love of writing (similar to that of Isabel Allende, I'm sure ;) ) leads her through career paths not traditionally open to women at the time. And that love leads her to Chile and its civil war where she also finds her del Valle relatives. The story is captivating and one you will be reluctant to put down. Kudos Ms. Allende!

My Name is Emilia Del Valle: A Novel by Isabel Allende

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another beautifully written historical fiction by Isabel Allende. The story follows Emilia as she grows as a writer. She starts writing dime crime novels, published under a pseudonym. Emilia then turns to journalism, writing articles for local paper. From this job she lobbies to be sent to cover a brewing civil war in Chile, the home of her birth father. As the war heats up, Emilia finds herself in danger and falling in love with her colleague. Through beautiful descriptive language and fantastic character development, this is a story that will stick with you.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Fans of Isabel Allende will be able to purchase the book in early May.

The latest novel by Isabel Allende doesn't disappoint. A journalist at a time before women were accepted by their peers Emilia del Valle perseveres to become a war time correspondent in Chile during a civil war.

Emilia is such a determined and authentic character that I found it easy to root for her to succeed in a path that was nearly impossible for a female to even attempt in the late 1800s. The graphic nature of war and its consequence was hard to get through at times. Yet I recognize that it was important to include in the narrative of Emilia's story to help better understand how it shaped who she became as well as how it changed the world around her.

I’m a big fan of historical fiction, especially Isabel Allende’s books. So, when I got an ARC of her latest novel, I was super excited. But unfortunately, it didn’t quite meet my expectations. I’m not sure why! I read this in English, and I usually read her books in Spanish, so I think it might have gotten lost in translation.

Emilia del Valle is a young journalist in San Francisco who’s writing under a pen name. She’s been asked to cover the war in Chile, and she’s eager to go. She’s also hoping to find her father, who she never knew.

This novel follows Emilia’s journey. She’s a strong and brave woman who’s not afraid of anything.

I want to thank NetGalley and Ballentine Books for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am a dedicated lover of Isabel Allende's writing. I think that I have read everything book that she has written. Most of her novels are wonderful. A few are ok and a few are books that I just did not like. This book falls into the category of "just ok" as far as I am concerned. The politics of the story were difficult to follow. War is always a difficult topic to read. I might tell my friends to skip this book.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction + Literary Fiction

My Name is Emilia del Valle is a historical novel set in 1866 in San Francisco. It follows the protagonist Emilia right before her birth and how her mother got pregnant with her when she was an Irish nun. Her Chilean aristocrat father didn’t want to do anything with her or with her mother.

When Emilia grows up, she starts writing stories and novels under a male pen name. And then she ends up writing a column in The Daily Examiner under the guidance of Eric Whelan, a reporter who becomes her mentor. Their work collaboration and partnership get stronger with time.

When an opportunity arises for a reporter to go to her dad’s homeland, Chile, which is on the brink of a civil war, Emilla signs up for it, and she gets a new contract where she can now write under her real name instead of a male pen name. Eric becomes her partner in this mission, and the two find themselves in very dangerous situations. Being there will also give Emilia the chance to search for her father and his family.

The story is narrated in the first-person style from Emilia’s perspective, and through her voice, we follow her journey, which shows how a person can grow and mature in the most difficult circumstances. If you love stories with a strong female protagonist, then this novel is the one for you.

This is the third book I've read by the author, following the highly enjoyable Violetta and The Wind Knows My Name. Like those two, this story is deep with a rich historical setting, especially the parts that take place in Chile. The author did an excellent job showing the tension and the very tense mood of the people during that time.

I'm unsure how historically accurate the book is since I haven't read anything about Chile before, but the author presents things in a very realistic and believable way. The story encompasses themes such as coming of age, feminism, and the search for one’s identity and roots. Allende’s prose and exceptional storytelling enhance its richness.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.

Grateful to #NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC!

Emilia del Valle is a writer and journalist born in San Francisco in the late 1800s to an Irish mother and an absentee Chilean father. She grow up to become a journalist who travels to Chile as a foreign correspondent to cover the Chilean Civil War of 1891. While there, she promises her mother to reconnect with her father and in doing so, Emilia builds connections to her ancestral homeland despite the political upheaval.

I know very little about the history of Chile and this period in particular and this novel made me interested in learning more about that history. Emilia is a remarkable character and I greatly enjoyed her story. This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in exploring unique historical settings.

4..25 ⭐️. I fell in love with Allende’s writing years ago after reading Daughter Of Fortune and The House Of The Spirits. She’s a masterful storyteller and I was beyond thrilled when I was approved to read an advance copy of her latest. This story takes place in San Francisco and Chile and follows the life of Emilia as she forges her own path as a writer and journalist in the late 1800s. Emilia’s journey ultimately takes her to Chile to cover the civil war taking place there. While in Chile, she is able to learn more about her roots and find love and purpose.

In true Allende fashion, the writing in this book is rich and immersive. If you enjoy books about strong and independent women, I highly recommend you add this book to your list!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I will post my review on Goodreads and my bookstagram close to the publication date.

This book was not for me, I think some of the translation did a disservice to the book and the story.

It's 1891, and Emilia lives with her mother and stepfather in San Francisco. Her mother was seduced and abandoned by a Chilean, so Emilia is interested in going to Chile, perhaps to meet him. She works as a newspaper reporter, and surprisingly they approve of her going to Chile to cover the civil war, but in a ladylike way, of course. Romance, family encounters, and war and its horrors are what she finds in Chile, described by Allende, the ultimate raconteur. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I am a huge Isabel Allende fan, but this one took me a while to get into. About halfway through, I couldn’t stop reading and got really immersed in the story. So grateful for Allende’s storytelling.

4.5⭐

Get me an author who can do both. Isabel Allende pulled my heart out and stomped on it a couple times while also educating me about the Chilean revolution of 1891. This is why she's a master storyteller and I just appreciate being in a world where she writes books.

Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin Random House Publishing for an early copy of My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende is an extraordinary storyteller, and her latest novel, My Name is Emilia del Valle joins her impressive oeuvre of work that brings characters to life in historical settings that cannot help but educate the reader. In this novel, a young Emilia del Valle sets out to work as a journalist in late 1890s San Francisco and takes on reporting a civil war in Chile. The journey will test all her strengths; she will rely on the wisdom of her stepfather who has instilled in Emilia the idea there is nothing she cannot achieve.

Rough travel, loss of loved ones, the tragedy of war and its aftermath will all attempt to bring Emilia down; however, she will rise, sometimes under extraordinary circumstances, to understand her heritage and her place in the world.

Readers should be aware that the war scenes are graphic in nature. By contrast, Allende also describes the beauty of the Chilean landscape with land, mountains and sea always in Emilia's vision.

Allende also relays information about the importance of nitrate as a Chilean resource and its value on the world market. It is this resource that contributes to the unrest in Chile at the end of the 19th century.

Isabel Allende never disappoints; This newest endeavor takes its rightful place on the Allende bookshelf.

"'Mark my words, miss, one day the workers of this country are going to band together, with the women in the lead. And then we'll have a true revolution,' he said."

Isabel Allende. Chile in the late 1800s. What more do I need to say?

Thanks to the kind folks at NetGalley for a chance to read an ARC. I did not love it but others will.

Set in 19th Century California, a beautiful historical fiction from the master of the genre. Lush descriptions and intimate characterization will transport readers to another time.

Allende is one of my favorite authors; I've read every book she has published. Her sweeping descriptions of Chile and its political and social machinations are always fascinating. This story is of a young American woman, a journalist visiting Chile to report on its late nineteenth-century civil war. In her quest for authentic stories, she gets caught in a turbulent political landscape where her status as a U.S. citizen isn't a guarantee of safety.

As I've come to expect, Allende creates a masterful blend of romance, politics, feminism, and landscape in what is truly a coming-of-age story for the intrepid Emilia del Valle. Emilia is already clever and brave but has been incredibly sheltered up to this point. Allende illustrates life for a woman who dared to have a job in a traditionally male profession while engaging the reader in the background story of Chile's volatile political history. I loved the whole story - until we got to the end. The part about leaving her fiancee to travel solo to the wilderness of Southern Chile seemed as if it were tacked on to the novel as an afterthought. The idea of having Eric narrate the epilogue was clever, and I enjoyed the heightened mystery of not knowing what he will find about Emilia through this change in narrator. However, the ending still didn't ring true for me about what we knew of Emilia to that point.

Once again Isabel Allende brings us another riveting story about a strong minded adventurous woman. “My Name is Emilia del Valle” is a story about Emilia who is born to a previous nun who was seduced by an aristocratic Chilean and becomes pregnant. Emilia is raised by her mother and her step father. She grows up in the late 1800’s with her Papo encouraging her to do and be anything she wants. She loves writing and writes dime novels which become published under a pseudo name because women at that time did not do that. As she becomes older, she is told by her mother that her biological father is an aristocrat in Chile. Meanwhile her mother has been trying to get him to recognize her as his daughter but to no avail.

Emilia eventually gets a job with the San Francisco Examiner. When civil war breaks out in Chile, she convinces her editor to send her, along with a reporter, to write human interest stories about the people in Chile affected by the war. Emilia has no desire to just do that and wants to be part of the war. She becomes part of the war effort, falls in love, finds her father and his family, gets arrested, is recognized as his daughter, is left a piece of uninhabited property at the very tip of Chile, and ventures there to find herself and write her memoir.

This does not even do justice to the wonderful story Isabel has written. She writes as a narrative in such away that we are mesmerized from the start. We become part of Emilia’s story of adventure, love, and finding herself. I have loved any of the books I have read written by Isabel Allende and recommend this one just as highly. Thank you Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this uncorrected ebook.

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende is historical fiction mostly about a time in Chile during their civil war. I have read other books by this author which I enjoyed but this book I found to be a very difficult read. The first third of the book follows Emilia as she grows up in San Francisco and convinces the newspaper editor to give her a job as a journalist, which was unheard of in the 1800s. The second third of the book is when Emilia and a fellow journalist travel to Chile to cover the civil war going on there. That is where the book gets bogged down. There are just too many people to follow the story and who is on which side of the war. It really drags on. This is also the time where Emilia finally gets to meet her biological father. The last third of the book is what happens to Emilia after the civil war ends. I didn’t find the ending very satisfying and it seemed some what contrived. While the story was beautifully written, I just didn’t find the characters realistic or very likable.

"In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father - and herself.

In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman.

To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of seventeen, she begins to publish pulp fiction using a man's pen name. When these fictional worlds can no longer satisfy her sense of adventure, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.

As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, as does Eric, and while there, she meets her estranged father and delves into the violent confrontation in the country where her roots lie. As she and Eric discover love, the war escalates and Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny.

A riveting tale of self-discovery and love from one of the most masterful storytellers of our time, My Name Is Emilia del Valle introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart."

The voice of Emilia is so strong.