Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review.

Isabel Allende has done it again. This author has such a way with words. This book is set during the 1891 Chilean civil war, a topic I knew literally nothing about. She makes this conflict come alive without overcomplicating the politics and names involved in the conflict. This is done through the narrator, Emilia del Valle, who lives a cutting-edge life as a journalist and war reporter. This is great for anyone who enjoys historical fiction and strong female characters.

Emilia del Valle is a strong-willed, smart, self-sufficient young woman and this story centers around her young life. Raised by a single mother and supportive and loving stepfather, Emilia was confident and supported which allowed her to explore her passions, specifically writing. But her biological father's story prompts her to continue to ask questions about her ancestry. When her job as a journalist provides the opportunity to cover the civil war in Chile, her father's homeland, she goes willingly. In Chile, she is confronted with the horrors of war face-to-face; the extreme danger she finds herself in, coupled with being in her father's homeland, pushes Emilia to explore her identity and find her true self. This was a riveting novel, well-written, emotional, and uplifting.

Allende's books always pull me in with her excellent character development. I learn about the history of Chile through her stories ‐ history I know little about. In this book, I also learned more about the beauty of the country, especially in more remote areas. I highly recommend this book as well as her past books.

OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK! It’s a historical fiction with an awesome AF main character. I think if you liked The Giver of Stars or The Book Woman of Troublesome creek, you’d like this.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

While I loved Isabel Allende’s writing, I really didn’t connect with this book. I was interested in her portrayal of the Chilean Civil War and at times brutal descriptions of man’s inhumanity toward other men- indeed neighbors against neighbors. There is a lesson here for Americans in this time of political division. However, I did not connect with the protagonist. I found her modern day independence and sensibilities a little over the top- especially the ending when she survived in the Andean mountains alone for such a long time- and then was found by her fiancé, another extremely unlikely event.

If you asked me to describe MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE in three words, I might pick adventure, violence, with a bit of romance. But these words don’t really do justice to this novel. Reading this book gave me a chance to meet a determined woman who flaunts the rules and winds up living through exceptional experiences, both good and bad. Awarded four stars but if I could I would go to 4.5.

Written in the style of an autobiography, MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE is Emilia’s first person account of her life through her mid twenties. (Might there be a sequel?) In Chile in the early 1890s she is a fiercely independent woman, bucking all the social conventions at a time when the only acceptable roles for women in this deeply Catholic society were marriage and motherhood.

But after an intellectually rigorous upbringing, courtesy of a loving stepfather, Emilia aspires to earn her own living as a writer — unheard of for a woman at this time. After finding success writing 10-cent novels using a male pseudonym, Emilia becomes a journalist, where she hopes to be able to report using her own name. One of her early assignments is to cover the feature side of Chile’s increasing political tension, partnered with a more experienced journalist who will cover the news side.

Aside from Emilia’s ambition and commitment to lead a non-traditional life, the novel tells a second story of the South American country of Chile itself. It’s a story of European Colonialism and the Chilean Civil War of 1891 -- a fight for power between the President of Chile, José Manuel Balmaceda and the country's legislative congress. Wealthy European settlers generally support Balmaceda while impoverished and indigenous people side with Congress. Like the American Civil War, this was a savage conflict.

As with all her books, Isabel Allende’s language is beautiful. (Credit certainly also goes to translator Frances Riddle.) The passages describing battles that Emilia witnesses are so vivid that they are painful to read and I occasionally found the need to take a break. Likewise, descriptions of wild and remote areas in the Andes Mountains are equally powerful and you will long to visit what must have been a true paradise.

The only reason I did not award five stars to MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE is because I found the start of the book dragged a bit. But by midway, I was frantically turning pages, both eager and nervous to find out what would happen next. Highly recommended.

Emilia del Valle is an adventurous and determined young woman, who goes against the conventions of the times and of her modest San Franciscan family. After some success writing dime novels under a male pen name, Emilia breaks conventions by become a journalist for the Examiner, also under her pen name. She travels to New York City for the Examiner and sends back human interest stories, always seeking out the people whose voices might otherwise remain unheard.

In the midst of the Chilean civil war, Emilia and her fellow reporter Eric

Thank you for the advance copy. I love all of Isabel Allende’s books but this one fell short for me and I lost interest at about 35%. I learned a lot about the Chilean Civil
War but I felt that there were too many insignificant characters and Emilia’s story dragged on.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating Isabel Allende’s latest novel after being captivated by The Wind Knows My Name and Violetta, and My Name is Emilia Del Valle did not disappoint. Allende once again weaves a rich tapestry of history, politics, and deeply compelling characters. Emilia Del Valle is a standout protagonist—strong, determined, and ahead of her time. I love how the novel centers on her journey, as she defies societal expectations and navigates the complexities of her world. Her resilience and courage make her an unforgettable character.

While the narrative occasionally delves deeply into the politics and history of Chile, particularly during a tumultuous period, Allende masterfully anchors the story in Emilia’s personal growth. The historical context adds depth and nuance, though at times it can feel overwhelming, but it never pulls you too far from the heart of the story: Emilia's unyielding spirit. If you're a fan of historical fiction with strong female protagonists and well-crafted political themes, this book will certainly resonate with you.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#MyNameIsEmiliadelValle #NetGalley

4.0. I really like Isabel Allende’s works, and this one did not disappoint. I am always amazed at how different each of her novels is from the others, and that is a gift in my opinion. The one is more of a historical fiction on the Civil War in Chile at the end of the 19th century. The story focuses on Emilia del Valle, the daughter of an Irish immigrant who came to San Francisco and entered a convent to become a nun when she was raped by a young rogue from Chile. This incident deeply scarred her mother throughout her life which had a consequential impact on Emilia’s upbringing. Her mother remarried and Emilia’s Papo, originally from Mexico, gave Emilia a lot of what she didn’t get from her mother, in love and the thirst for knowledge and ambition. Emilia became an author at a very young age of dime store novels (under the name of a man as her stories would never have been published had they known she was a woman) but craved to be a journalist and convincingly was able to land a job with a San Francisco publication. She strong armed her way to witness the Chilean civil war in the 1860s. The novel delves into the tragedy, devastation, carnage, slaughter, pillage as well as the societal consequences of war in exquisite yet haunting detail. Despite all the negative aspects of the war, Allende also wrote of the raw and natural beauty of her homeland, Chile, and of the various cultures, from the wealthy elites to the indigenous people. Great character development and so well researched.. Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an advance copy in exchange for a candid and unbiased review.

I had a hard time connecting to the characters which was a bit disappointing to me personally. I wish we had more time with the characters. But it was a lovely story and well written.

I have always wanted to read an Isabel Allende, so I was glad for this Netgalley ARC of her upcoming work. I was quickly enamored by her writing voice which is very light and personable, and her control over the narrative movement is masterfully deft. In that, I am reminded of her magical realism ilk such as Marquez, Desai, Borges, Murakami and Rushdie, whose works have been formative for me as a reader and writer. That said, this story is not exactly a work of magical realism and more straightforward historical fiction, with the fantastical element of a young Latina from California traveling to Chile to be a newspaper correspondent during the Chilean Civil War. The titular Emilia's voice, both as a narrator and as the author of her newspaper pieces, much like Allende has a breezy brashness with a very solid mastery of her craft while telling all the human stories around the war. The unfolding narrative of her Chilean roots interlaces with her wartime correspondence in a seamless tapestry that makes her personal and professional journeys a masterful work of historical accounting that feels oddly relevant in the current times. Perhaps it feels timely because once again, as Americans, we see our institutions and populace turning indifferent eyes on wars away from home that cause immense suffering, and hobbling the formidable potential of women as history makers. It's not difficult to root for Emilia -- she is plucky, adventurous, self-assured, indomitable while also being deeply empathetic. That she's a writer makes perfect sense as does her journey, with all the believable stumbles, lessons and all the human connections she makes along the way. If you're like me, you might be tempted to look up Wikipedia for all the historical context while reading, but if you resist the temptation, and trust Allende, you'll learn everything you need to know and then some. It's a longish work but doesn't really feel that way. I am so glad this was my introduction to Allende because for someone who has already had such a long and storied legacy, it's always so impressive to me that they are able to keep putting out works that feel well-researched and thematically relevant to the zeitgeist.

My Name is Emilia del Valle
by Isabel Allende \
Pub Date: May 6, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The House of the Spirits, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.
The novel takes readers through Emilia’s search for her father, her quest to capture the war’s brutal reality, and her brush with Chile’s fierce canteen girls who brave the frontlines to support soldiers. Though the plot sometimes skims over pivotal moments, the story never loses focus on Emilia’s emotional journey as she grapples with identity, love, and the calling to write. It's a fast read - almost surface level.

In the end, while this 300-page novel leaves some threads untied, My Name is Emilia del Valle is a gripping tale of courage, heritage, and resilience.

Isabel Allende’s My Name Is Emilia del Valle is a stunning work of historical fiction that captivates and informs in equal measure. As a longtime fan of Allende’s writing, I was excited to see her explore a new chapter of Chilean history, shedding light on the Chilean Civil War and San Francisco during the same era. What truly stands out in this novel is its feminist perspective. Through Emilia’s journey, the book deftly examines the roles and expectations placed on women and men in different societies, offering a rich and nuanced portrayal of her navigation through them. Allende’s ability to breathe life into her characters and settings once again shines, making the historical backdrop feel both vivid and deeply personal. The ending, while a bit unconventional, adds an intriguing layer of ambiguity, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. It’s a fitting close to a story that’s as thought-provoking as it is beautifully written.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advance copy of this novel by an accomplished author that offers a view of women that is quite different than one thought of, one filled with a zest for adventure, writing, learning, and even a little bit of romance.

There are authors who like to buck the trends of what their characters can do, where they come from, and what they plan to do with their lives. Isabel Allende is one of those authors. Allende's books run the gamut from romance, to autofiction, to even a little bit of pulp styling as in Allende's retelling of the Zorro story. Allende also can create characters that readers care about, and that seem real, even when they are in a period that treated women as worse than second class citizens, especially if their backgrounds were not lily white. What I like most about Allende is that the characters that Allende creates do not except limitations, from themselves or society. Allende's characters follow their own path, a path that might lead them to success, failure or a mix in between. However it is the character's decision's and that is why I enjoy Allende's works so much. In Emilia del Valle, Allende has created probably her most memorable, and most audacious. My Name Is Emilia del Valle is a historical novel, about a young woman, born under a few bad signs, who fights with all her brains and skills to be who she wants to be, no matter where it might take her.

Emilia del Valle is born in 1866 on the West Coast of the United States. Emilia's mother is a nun who is considered fallen, after her affair with a Chilean member of the aristocracy, who leaves her pregnant and alone in San Francisco. Emilia grows up with love, and the encouragement of her stepfather who always pushed her to be as good as she wants to be, in what she wants to be. Emilia starts writing stories for magazines, stories of adventure, pirates and like for the early pulps, an outlet for Emilia's wanderlust. This soon grows tiring, even at her young age, and she finagles her way into a job at a newspaper where she is partnered with a young reporter Eric Whelan. Their partnership might turn to something else, but Emilia decides she needs to cover the problems that are occuring in her father's home country of Chile. A Civil War could be starting and Emilia would like to be there to cover it, and maybe find out more information about who she is. Emilia travels to Chile and finds a lot more than she expected, and could lose more than she ever thought.

A big sprawling book that covers the world from Ireland to America to South America. I loved the story and the idea of the story. Yes women did things, write, become doctors, all sorts of things that history neglects to mention, as if women never left the house until World War II Emilia is a fascinating character, one that is funny, charming and smart. Who never turns dumb for a man or to fit the situation, which again is rare in many books. The history covered is new to me, and does not overwhelm the story. Allende, is much too good of a writer to do that. Instead it compliments the character, giving her more to deal with, and to grow as a character. There are many funny moments, as well as scenes that break hearts, and make one mad at the evil that people can do to each other.

Fans of Allende will enjoy this, and this is a good book for new writers to start with. Much of what Emilia has to deal with will be sadly familiar to many women today. Especially sharing credit with a man. For fans of Allende, and historical fiction in general, this book is a treat.

While reading this book, I learned so much about the Chilean Civil War. I also learned about a beautiful human who was raised by her mother and wonderful stepfather.. Her mother carries hatred against the Emilie’s father who took advantage of her innocence.
Be prepared to fall in love with Emilie.
Read this amazing story - it’ will take you on a wonderful adventure.

Emilia's parents never married each other, but her mother gave her a rare and wonderful stepfather, a Victorian freethinker who encouraged her to read and write...even adventure stories, even criminal investigations. When her crime stories were printed in the newspaper the editor required her to collaborate with a young man. They became friends. Then they got a lead on a breaking news story--the civil war in Chile. Emilia's father had come from Chile. Her mother wanted her to follow him back there, to deliver a bitter little letter and demand her inheritance.

Does she have an inheritance? Will White Chilean society accept her as heir to a rich family, or despise her because her parents weren't married? How much can a young White lady observe and report about the war? What would have been probable in real history is not the same as what's likely to happen in novels by the author of "House of the Spirits" and "Zorro." Emilia is too unusual a character to get an ordinary happy ending. Her story is as unusual as she is, and has its own kind of logical coherence.

Emilia tells her own story in a terse, witty, journalistic way, with occasional patches of a friend's point of view. (Bonus points for self[-control if you don't look ahead to see who narrates the Epilogue.) Her voice is reminiscent of other Allende characters and of Allende in her nonfiction, and her love of her family, her passion for writing, her enjoyment of young men, her un-Victorian sense of social justice, her hate of war, and her love of Chile, will sweep you away into an adventure in magical realism. 4.75 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. I am a big fan of Isabel Allende’s work and was so excited to have the chance to read this early. However, while it was a great story, I don’t think this was a favorite for me.

First and foremost, this story is about the Chilean civil war. Like many of Allende’s books, this one is ripe with Chilean history and in this book, the war and battles almost feel like a character themselves. There was a lot of vivid descriptions of the conflict at hand in the war and also the brutality of the fighting itself, which I think was very well done and was handled very respectfully by the author. It was clearly very well researched and does explore important topics, as it relates to political violence and human resilience in the face of such violence and conflict.

However, the driving plot points outside of this felt a bit rushed and I felt disconnected to the story and the characters. At the start of the book, I sensed a trademark of Allende’s books, where we got descriptions of wonderfully unique character descriptions of Emilia, her mother, and others; but, the plot progressed rapidly and at times, the activities and relative freedoms that Emilia participated in (I.e. her work, her travel, etc) felt a bit difficult to believe in, given the significant restrictions imposed upon women at this time. In Allende’s other novels, what I have enjoyed the most was how much I could fall into the story at hand, completely believing in it whether realistic or not, and the characters feeling so developed and fleshed out, that it almost felt like you knew them— unfortunately, that was not the case for me in this book.

Overall, if you are a fan of Allende, this book was a quick enough read that I would still recommend reading it. I would also recommend it if you enjoy historical fiction. There were a great many things to enjoy and love about this book, I think it just was not for me.

It's the end of the year and while I promised NetGalley an honest review in return for the ARC, I'm feeling generous and upgrading this 4.5 book.

Isabel Allende writes books that just envelope you. You become a part of the life of the characters and they become a part of yours. She creates worlds and characters which you just dive into and live. When I wake up and can't get back to sleep, I will pull out my kindle and read a couple pages before falling back asleep. Darn Isabel, once I was back in her world I stayed up several hours reading. Although for the past few days I've been very tired and fell asleep at my desk once, it was a fair trade.

This book also serves as a primer on late 19th century Chile. I would say I knew nothing, but some of the names are familiar. Now I am not only familiar, I feel I have been there. The battle scenes are well written and detailed, you can smell the gunpowder and taste the dust, I felt like I needed a shower after spending time in the hospitals and prisons, and instead had a cold, refreshing swim in a glacial lake.

This wasn't perfection. The heroine sometimes mistakes stupidity for heroism. And sometimes providing the history could be dull. But it's Christmas and I'm forgiving the small flaws in return for such a good story.

Isabel Allende's My Name Is Emilia del Valle is a captivating historical fiction novel that transports readers to 19th-century Chile. The story follows Emilia, a young woman who defies societal expectations and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and independence.

Allende's vivid descriptions bring the historical setting to life, immersing readers in the rich culture and tumultuous political climate of the time. The characters are well-developed, with Emilia emerging as a strong and resilient protagonist. However, some readers may find the pacing to be uneven, with certain plot points feeling rushed.

While the novel explores important themes such as love, loss, and the power of human resilience, it occasionally delves into melodrama. Nevertheless, Allende's masterful storytelling and her ability to weave historical events into a compelling narrative make My Name Is Emilia del Valle a worthwhile read for fans of historical fiction.