I have read and enjoyed many of Isabelle Allende’s books in the past, and have even read a couple of them in Spanish, calling upon my rusty high school/college Spanish to do so. For this reason, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest novel, “My Name is Emilia del Valle.” As explained below, I was somewhat disappointed with this one, primarily due to the long drawn out descriptions in the second half of the book.

The book starts with Emilia as a young girl in San Francisco in 1873, where she lives with her mother, Molly Walsh, and her stepfather, don Pablo Claro, whom she refers to as “Papo.” Her biological father was Gonzalo Andres del Valle, from a prominent Chilean family, who seduced her mother when she was a novice nun. Emilia has never met her biological father, who refused to acknowledge his paternity and returned to Chile before Emilia’s birth. When she is in her twenties, she becomes a reporter for the Daily Examiner, a job she obtains through persistence, stubbornness and strength of character, refusing to take “no” for an answer.

The first half of the book describes her life with her mother and stepfather, including her stint as a reporter. The descriptions of her tour across the country and back on the transcontinental railroad, as well as her experiences while in New York reporting for the paper, brought this period of time to vivid life. After her trip to New York, she is sent to Chile in 1891 to cover the civil war there between the “Congressional” faction and those supporting the President, Balmaceda. She is supposed to be focusing on the “human interest” side of the civil war, while her co-worker, Eric Whelan, is to report on the actual conflict. Emilia promptly ignores this directive, becoming embedded with the President’s troops where she joins forces with the “Canteen Girls,” women who provide provisions and first aid to the troops in combat.

The second half of the book, which starts with the Chilean Civil War, quickly becomes bogged down with detailed and protracted descriptions of both the actual combat and the horrors perpetuated by the victorious Congressional troops on the conquered Presidential forces and their leaders and supporters. Subsequent chapters provide detailed and somewhat monotonous descriptions of a prolonged, arduous journey through a remote and undeveloped region in the southern portion of the country, describing what seems like every step along the way.

These detailed, drawn out descriptions made the book a drudge to read. If these sections had been more succinct, the book would have been so much better. Perhaps other readers with more patience than I have will enjoy the beautiful prose and evocative descriptions of San Francisco, transcontinental United States train travel in the late 1800’s, and the south Chilean wilderness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballentine Books for providing me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Let me state the obvious – Isabel Allende is a beautiful writer who never disappoints.

I had decided to read a different book before I read My name is Amelia Del Valle, but once I read the first sentence, she had me hooked. Not so much because of the story that hadn't even really begun, but because the writing just carries you along.

The other thing about Isabel Allende is that she takes you to places and times and events that you've never been to before and, often, don't even know existed. This time it is the Chilean Civil War at the turn of the last century. Since I didn't know who won the conflict (and chose not to Google it), I felt the suspense of the reality of war. In addition, her descriptions of being on the battlefield are so vivid as to evoke strong emotions in the reader.

Finally, I had no idea what would happen to the characters: would Amelia survive? Would Eric? Would they begin a life in San Francisco? Would the pull of Chile be too strong?

Allende keeps you wondering until the last page. What a wonderful read it is.

There is something about the worlds that Isabel Allende creates where they have the capacity to be cozy and familiar while also showing how heart-breaking life can be. I just fall into her worlds and I don’t want to leave them. I also fell in love with Emilia. I loved ever piece of her story and how she went against everything everyone told her and truly just followed her own instincts. I left this book feeling like I could do anything if Emilia could pull off all she did in this book. I also learned so much about Chile which I also loved. 💛

I should have known that Isabel Allende's newest book was going to sweep me away. Allende's writing is so beautiful, and her stories are so heartbreakingly wonderful. I loved every minute I spent reading My Name is Emilia de Valle and I can't wait for the rest of the world to read it too!

I was excited to receive this copy of Isabel Allende's upcoming release My Name is Emilia del Valle. This historical fiction begins in San Fransisco in the 1866s, following an Irish-American mother and her child Emilia, who, while she has not met her father, knows he is a Chilean aristocrat. Emilia does not follow traditional norms for women and sets out to be a writer and journalist. She spends time writing before being partnered with a man named Eric and traveling to Chile to write about the ongoing Civil War. While the reader learns more about Emilia as she learns about herself, they also learn vast and ranging information about the historical event itself, as Allende is so good at doing. She provides multiple perspectives and historical facts alongside a variety of characters. Allende's clear love of the Chilean landscape and history also shines through. While this book is accessible to older teens, it is better suited to a public library setting. That being said, I will still likely buy a copy for our high school library as Allende is a popular author! Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. This was a challenging read for me. It tells the story of Emilia, a young woman in the mid 1800's who works hard to become the first American woman to become a news columnist. She's blatantly feminist, so much so that it's hard to believe. The opportunities she's awarded seem unrealistic for her era. The story is told amid the backdrop of the Chilean war. I am not a fan of long, graphic battles but unfortunately they dominated the book.
There is a love story but it seems to exist on the margins.
I had a hard time relating to the characters and my overall feeling is one of disappointment.
3.5
Read from: Jan 28, 2025 - Jan 30, 2025

Emilia defies social conventions in 1880s San Francisco by writing crime novels and then newspaper articles. When the Chilean Civil War breaks out in 1891, she travels across the hemisphere in search of adventure as well as the father she never met.

The story of Emilia in Chile was the heart of the novel, but it was only half of the book. The other half focused on her growing up. While some of the backstory was important, I would have preferred it be told through flashback. The beginning of the novel was too slow, and I think some of the information was unnecessary for the later parts.

The scenes in Chile were heartbreaking and dark, and I was sucked in.

THE BEST LITERARY HISTORICAL NOVEL I’VE READ IN YEARS!!!!
Utterly enthralling!
I finished the last page at 3:30am this morning while still snuggling in bed…..then set the book down and melted into bliss.
It has everything I love . . . elevated historical fiction blended with literary storytelling mastery.
…..we meet a powerhouse independent heroine….
learn some fascinating history, and experience Chilean Civil War down to our toes.
Isabel Allende, our gifted raconteur, can spin a tale like nobody’s business.
….I was in awe from our protagonist’s (Emilia) courage & gusto ….
….I was moved tremendously by her step-father ….
….And . . .
….I was engrossed on every page - every turn —
[there is remarkable ambition, adventure, brutality, war, family roots, career desires, work ethics, giving back to the community, history, journalism, friendships, love, a little romance ….etc.

Isabel Allende is eighty-two years old. How did that happen? Impossible … can’t be … where have the years gone?

Isabel Allende has been influencing me ….entertaining me…teaching me ….and inspiring me to be a better person….for many YEARS.
She’s not only a very talented writer…..but also a woman who is passionate about family, friends, social justice, activism, feminism, and history…..(both Chilean and American)…..
I’ve read seventeen Isabel Allende books…..both fiction and non-fiction. (She’s published well over twenty).
I’ve gone to hear Allende speak at ‘book-readings’ three different times. I guess it’s fair to say ….I’m a lifetime fan.

Isabel Allende, Chilean-American author, is a master-storyteller.
She has written over twenty books that have been translated in 35 languages…
She is the world‘s most widely read Spanish-language author.
In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
In 2010, she received Chili’s National Literature Prize. President Barack Obama awarded her the 2014 Presidential Medal of Freedom.

In “My Name is Emilia del Valle”, we are first introduced to Emilia in San Francisco. Her mother: Molly Walsh, was nun in 1866.
Molly Walsh got pregnant by a Chilean aristocrat (Gonzalo Andres del Valle)— who was not the father or husband in either Molly or Emilia’s life.
Molly married Francisco Claro who became Emilia’s devoted stepfather. Emilia called him Papo. Others called him Pancho.
The storytelling about the above paragraph is much more juicy, interesting, intimate and descriptive.
The beginning setting is in the Mission District of San Francisco….
We get a flavor of family life, work life at a local school, (Aztec Pride), and the colorful community….with nuns and neighborhood residents.
As Emilia was growing up ….(an only child until the age of eight….with three brothers to follow)….her interest in writing first evolved from reading “DIME NOVELS”.
Dime novels were about 90 to 100 pages in length, pocket size, printed on cheap paper. Stories about Cowboys and Indians, adventures, soldiers, easy to read and entertaining.
Critics considered them garbage, but for many people who didn’t have much time to read, they preferred them over poetry and romance.
In the United States, roughly between the years 1860 and 1915, the western themed dime novels were quite popular.
Emilia wrote ‘her’ first dime book at age seventeen. Her Papo supported, and cultivated Emilia’s passion and independence.

….In order form Emilia to get her dime story/stories published ….she had to invent a pseudonym…
Brandon J. Price was the macho-male name used. God forbid females wrote anything other than flowery articles.
Emilia’s own author/identity was kept a secret…
….Until ….
….Eventually ….
….Emilia got a job as a columnist with “The Daily Examiner” …..
She was assigned to work with Eric Whelan (the top journalist) ….

Part II of this novel ….
Emilia and Eric are both sent to Chile to report of the Civil War. We will experience the dark wrenching scary things — all that war is — other things will fester ….
….Emilia will meet her biological father …..
and
….Emilia and Eric begin to fall in love …..
I’m saying NO MORE …..other than I was on the edge of my seat, not knowing how the book was going to end.

A few excerpts:
“My honorable stepfather always said that as long as we had work, love, and dignity, we should want for nothing. We also had a decent little home, and we’re not indebted to anyone”.

“Remember princess, that you will have to work twice as hard as any man for half the recognition” was one of the lessons my Papo taught me”.

“I was terrified, trembling from fear and cold, hunched down with my head in my hands, trying to make myself invisible. I cursed my decision to stay instead of returning to Santiago as Eric kept asking me to, muttering prayers, imagining my body morally wounded by bullets, sabers, or bayonets, limbs amputated,eyes blinded, paralyzed, disfigured”.

“The most difficult part of the battle came after, when the survivors would walk the battlefield to collect the wounded, close the eyes of the dead, and pray over the pit of bodies piled atop the others, all equal in the same woeful world filled with blackbirds of ill omen and the stench of rot and the smoke of the bonfires built to burn the carcasses of the dead horses and mules”.

“That’s how it was in the United States; more men died in our Civil War than in all other wars we’ve had. The country was left deeply wounded, and I’m not certain it will ever heal”.
“Do you think the Chileans will hate each other forever?
“Hate often lies doormat under the surface, only to sprout back up when given the correct circumstances. That is how it has happened in the United States—we are still very much a divided country”.

A glass of brandy anyone?
Congrats to Isabel Allende. This is a beautiful, brutal, fierce, lush, mesmerizing, stunningly enjoyable novel.

~ I received an ARC copy of "My Name is Emilia Del Valle" from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

While Ms. Allende's reputation and writings have received critical acclaim, I've never once read her works until now. My Name is Emilia del Valle is a pleasant introduction into Ms. Allende's world building and writing styles. Her development of Emilia, a half-Chilean, half-American journalist in the late 19th century describes a character who experiences growth and humility through pursuing her passion of writing. Allende builds Emilia del Valle's story around the Chilean Civil War which led to the deaths and persecution of hundreds and not thousands and resulted in a government overthrow.

Allende paints a beautiful picture of the Chilean landscape while being unapologetic in the realities of war and its casualties. Emilia is not a vain character, but inexperienced in the beginning of her journey and grows as a writer and as a person throughout the story.

This is classic Isabel Allende, and fans will love this book as the author’s many others. It has all the right elements: an adventurous resilient woman, a host of fascinating supporting characters, mildly steamy episodes, and flowery descriptive language, while still teaching readers about history they might not have known, and reminding us of the horrors of war. Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

My first book by this author. I found the style somewhat off putting as it seemed to be stated in a rather unemotional frame-although it was an emotional story. The story I closing the history was interesting especially when comparing it to today’s issues.

Publication Date May 5, 2025

“My Name is Emilia del Valle” was such an engrossing historical fiction novel by one of my favorite authors for so many years, Isabel Allende. I found myself immersed in this beautiful saga where in 1866 an Irish nun gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle after being abandoned following a relationship with a Chilean aristocrat. But Emilia is raised by a loving stepfather fostering in her independent thinking. It is because of this that this fiercely independent woman turns to journalism convincing ‘The Daily Examiner’ to hire her. It is at that point that she is paired with another equally talented reporter, Eric Whelan. As the civil war in Chile simmers, both reporters gravitate to the action. But it is here that Emilia del Valle meets her father and begins to explore her roots as the war escalates and she begins to fall in love with Eric. As the saga continues one appreciates the storytelling gifts of Isabel Allende as well as her beautiful and poetic prose.

A special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced readers copy.

Skillfully written with beautiful prose, this historical fiction novel is written as an autobiography of an unconventional young woman. Emilia del Valle is a writer and newspaper journalist. An assignment to Chile to cover the 1891 Civil War also gives her an opportunity to meet her biological father. The coverage of the Civil War was an easy-to-follow history lesson about this brutal power struggle. The characters in this novel seemed alive, and the vivid descriptions of the landscape make me want to travel to Chile. I can see why Isabel Allende is a respected author.

Thank you, Random House, Ballantine, and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book. Isabel Allende hits it out of the park again. A story of a woman taking her life by the horns and making it her own. I was intrigued from the start and it did not let me go until the end. There is a vast cast of characters that are so well written. I leave this book still a huge fan of Isabel and her works. I read a NetGalley copy of this book.

Don’t you love a story about a strong, independent woman ahead of her time? Take Emilia del Valle—a young writer who, in the late 1800s in San Francisco, convinces a newspaper editor to let her cover the war brewing in Chile. Cherished author Isabelle Allende brings Emilia, the time period, the location, and the war into vivid focus with this novel.

There are conflicts galore involving themes of self-discovery, women's roles, risk-taking, identity, love, and family. Emilia’s ambition and restlessness are contagious. You’ll want to see where her courage takes her and if she compromises along the way. There were times I got a bit bogged down in the details of Chile’s civil war, but if you love history, you’ll love that this book is chockful of facts. Allende paints a portrait not only of an interesting protagonist but also of an often-overlooked piece of our world’s identity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an advance review copy of this novel.

Beautiful writing felt like I was in the story with the connection the author gives you to the characters. I loved this book. The writing is so vivid that it makes the book fly by and when you get to the end your ready to jump back in.

In My Name is Emilia Del Valle, Isabel Allende once again proves her mastery of historical fiction, crafting a story that is both sweeping in scope and intimate in its emotional depth. Set in the 19th century, the novel follows Emilia Del Valle, a headstrong young woman whose ambitions for a career and worldly experiences defy the rigid conventions of her time. Her determination, coupled with an unquenchable curiosity, makes her an irresistible protagonist.

The narrative takes Emilia from San Francisco to Chile, where she reports on the chaos of a civil war while secretly investigating her own family’s mysteries. Allende vividly captures the era, immersing readers in its political turbulence and societal constraints, while Emilia’s journey crackles with danger, romance, and discovery. The landscapes are as vivid as the emotions, with Allende’s signature lyrical prose breathing life into every setting.

At its heart, this is a novel about resilience, self-discovery, and forging identity against the odds. Particularly moving is Emilia’s bond with her stepfather, whose unwavering support underscores the novel’s exploration of familial love.

A tapestry of adventure, war, and human connection, My Name is Emilia Del Valle is another triumph from Allende, as captivating as it is profound.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the Advance Reader Copy.

2.5 stars rounded up. This was an interesting and well researched book about the Chilean civil war. I must confess that I picked up this novel with little knowledge of the history of Chile and wanted to learn more. I'm having trouble pinpointing why I didn't love this, but it is the same reaction I had to the other book I've read by this author, Violeta.

The book focuses on a Chilean American female journalist in the 19th century who is granted the opportunity to travel to the land of her ancestors to report on the war. The beginning of the novel highlights how groundbreaking it was for an independent female to be working in media (she initially had to publish her work under a male pseudonym), and I appreciated this aspect of the story. My critiques of the book were that the romance element seemed a bit rushed and not as flushed out as I wanted, as was the ending. It seemed like the pacing was inconsistent because the beginning of the novel was very detailed with scene setting and character development, and then suddenly a lot of action occurred that was associated with the FMC witnessing the war.

Overall, I would still recommend this story if you enjoy historical fiction featuring strong female characters who defied the conventional norms of their time. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for this ARC copy.

This historical novel follows Emilia del Valle, a woman ahead of her time, determined to make her mark as a journalist in a world that’s not ready for her ambition. Raised by a bitter mother and a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into a fiercely independent woman who isn’t afraid to take risks. Her journey to Chile during a civil uprising blends personal discovery with the harsh realities of war, and the result is gripping, sometimes shocking, but always compelling.

The story is packed with adventure, family drama, and the struggle for identity, all tied together by vivid writing and rich historical detail. Emilia is not always likable, but her complexity makes her feel real. This is a fast-paced, emotional read that balances brutal truths with moments of hope. It’s a story that sticks with you.

In this historical fiction story, we meet a woman who is unlike other women of her time. Emilia del Valle is the daughter of a disgraced nun who had been seduced by a svelte Chilean wealthy man. However, she was raised by her mother, who remained bitter wanting her daughter to receive her rightful inheritance, and her wonderful step-father who encouraged her to do whatever her heart desired. Emilia became a writer of dime stories but wanted to be a serious journalist. When she lands a job at the Hearst newspaper, she convinces them to send her to cover human interest stories with another journalist to Chili during their civil uprising. Emilia del Valle sets off to discover her biological father and enters a war zone unlike anything she ever imagined. A lot of graphic wartime violence and suspense mixed with some romance. Emilia is quite the rebel and pioneer. Fast paced and gripping, filled with details that are almost unbelievable. Truth be told, I’m not sure I like the character of Emilia but her story was quite something. Many thanks to #netgalley, #isabelallende, #mynameisemiliadevalle for the opportunity to read and review this book.