Allende never fails me. This is ann excellent tale about a woman discovering her roots as well as fascinating details of the Chilean civil war and unrest in the late 1800’s. I found Emelia’s story , in equal measure full of twists & turns and very moving

3.5 I have always been a big fan of Isabel Allende and greatly look forward to her next book release. Unfortunately, I can't say this was one of my favorites. As expected, the author did her research on the subject of the Chilean Civil war. Given her family and background, the turbulent history of Chile is never far from her mind, or her stories. While the Civil War was interesting, I found the main character hard to connect with. Allende specializes in books about strong women surviving in adverse conditions, but I feel Emilia was written too much like a modern day women. Even with an indulgent father, I don't feel a woman could have conducted herself and said the things she did in that particular place and time. I found it hard to take her seriously. One of the things I've always loved Isabel Allende's book is there is often just a touch, or sometimes a dollop, of magical realism woven into the story, which I've come to expect when reading one of her books. I found that sorely lacking in this book.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Chilean Civil War I would encourage you to read this book. Thanks to Net Galley for this ARC opportunity.

Off to a slow start and with some heavy subject matter, I unfortunately wasn't in the right frame of mind for this book. The settings and characters are still intriguing, though, so I hope to return to it!

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of My Name is Emilia del Valle.

Emilia is ahead of her time. The daughter of a devout Catholic mother seduced by a roguish absent father, Emilia grows up in the shadow of her mother’s rage at her father but loved and cherished by her stepfather who treats her as his own in post-gold-rush San Francisco.

In order to help provide for her family, Emilia tries writing a crime dime novel, and finds astonishing and immediate success, though she writes under a male pseudonym because a female author would be unheard of. From there she begins working as a reporter for a local newspaper, and eventually she is sent to cover the Chilean civil war for the paper. In Chile, she experiences the brutalities of war and nearly loses her life. She also tracks down her father, as Chile is his home country.

If these plot points seem far fetched, it doesn’t really matter. The beauty of this book is the evocative narration and Emilia’s descriptions of the people she meets and her various adventures, and her reflections on all she experiences. The language allows the tone of the book to ooze out of its pages and surround the reader like a warm blanket, even when the content is ghastly.

If you’re looking for a story that will put you in a different place and time (and if you’re not, why not?!), this is a perfect book for you.

Emilia Del Valle growing up in America in the late 19 th century, learns from her mother, a former novice Catholic nun, that her father, a wealthy aristocrat in Chile, owes his daughter her due inheritance. As fate would have it Emilia’s destiny is to be a journalist at a time when that profession is unthinkable for women. As Chile is torn apart by warring government factions, Emilia, becomes a foreign correspondent in that country and finally comes to meet the father she has been seeking.

The Chilean civil war was particularly newsworthy to foreign governments because of its mining and manufacture of nitrates, essential for the production of gunpowder and other explosives. Emilia has reason to be there and as she becomes involved in the bloody battles and aftermath of civil war, her observations as a skilled reporter lend credibility to the plot.

Allende did her homework. The historical background is impeccably researched and infused with actual characters who lived at that time and place. Grim details of the war add to the feel of the era. And yet, I found the book difficult to read. It was a slow and plodding journey for me to finish reading. Somehow, I was never fully engaged with the characters, the storyline or the author’s writing. For me it was a disappointing two star read. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

After the patronage of her loving stepfather, Emilia is determined to earn her living as a writer, which is unorthodox of her gender at the time. Writing under a male pseudonym, she finds success writing 10-cent novels but aspires to become a journalist where she hopes to write under her own name. One of her assignments is to cover the political tension in Chile. This story covers the Chilean Civil War in great detail. It details the struggles between the president of the time, the wealthy European settlers, and the impoverished people in Chile.

Emilia del Valle's story is a powerful and vulnerable story written in the form of a memoir, but the book discussed such heavy topics that I found myself flinching with reluctance to finish. The book is about self-discovery in a harsh world during trying times. It's an emotional read that covers an important piece of Chilean history. It was a good book but was not for me. I truly think that I may have been the wrong target audience, and if read at another time or in another mood, I would have given the story more than 3.5 stars it deserves. It is very well written and researched and may thrive with a difference audience.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This review is voluntary and all thoughts are my own.

This was my first Isabel Allende read, and I enjoyed it so much! She is masterful in the historical fiction genre, and I can’t wait to dig into her other novels!

Why do I do this to myself! Jeez! When I requested this book on NetGalley it was because I had read some excerpts from a book when I was teaching multicultural literature to high school seniors prior to retiring in 2017. I remembered her name and how much I enjoyed her work. What I didn't realize though, and wish I had, is that the name del Valle was first mentioned in The House of the Spirits which was published in 1982 while My Name Is Emilia del Valle was just published this May. That being said, I loved this book anyway. So, I had to go back and read her 1982 book just for a little insight (review to come later on that one).

I love historical fiction and I found the Chilean history very intriguing, informative and interesting. It doesn't hurt that Isabel Allende's writing is just beautiful and heartfelt. I tend to love books with plots that involve books and/or authors which this one did. It also takes place in San Francisco, about 75 miles from my home. She's only 16 years old when she begins to write under a pseudonym using a man's name, of course. Writing pulp fiction might've made writing using her own name even more difficult. Eventually she becomes a journalist and covers the war in Chile.

I love how smart and innovative she was. Emilia was a strong and courageous woman who stepped out of the box due to her own dreams and convictions. She didn't let societal norms hold her back. Nothing like reading about a woman ahead of her times which encourages women (I hope) or our day and age to do the same.

I love Allende’s writing and was excited to receive an advance copy from NetGalley. Allende’s words flow in a way that pull me in to the story and slow me down. I admired Emilia’s strength and perseverance in a time when that was not valued. The descriptions of the brutality and cruelty of war were vivid as were the descriptions of Chile.

That said this book took me months to read. I put it down for weeks at a time and even forgot at one point that I had left it unread. Partly I think that is because there are many stories is one relatively short book and in Emilia’s young life.

Perhaps this a book best read when you have a couple of days to just sit and read on vacation without distractions.

I really love Isabel Allende’s books. Happy to get a chance to read My Name is Emilia del Valle where independent Emilia ends up covering war in Chile. I found this incredibly engrossing and certainly is up there with The Women about the Horror of War. I actually think this is a much more Real Book. It is Heartbreaking and Heartlifting at the Same Time.

It is a Terrific Book. Love the Writing, love Emelia and all the characters she meets. Such an interesting look of Civil War in Chile in 1897 that I had no knowledge of. It’s always great to enjoy a book, be disturbed, and learn so much. This book delivered on all levels.

Highly Recommend if you can read difficult war scenes and are a fan of Historical Fiction. If you enjoy Isabel Allende, you are sure to love this one 🩷

Thank you Ballentine, and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.

Emilia del Valle Claro was born as a result from an innocent nun being “captivated” by a dashing young Chilean in SF. Predictably, he deserted her. But her mother married and worked hard to steer Emilia on a virtuous and productive path, by example. Emilia’s passion was more for journalism. Her focus was on proving herself in this field, where women seldom got the most newsworthy stories. When Emilia talks her way into the SF Hearst newsroom, she is intent on rising and being recognized. She soon perceives an opportunity when war is imminent in Chile and perhaps, she can find her father / his family if she gets to cover that story.

Allende has a few strands here to focus on: her mother’s early life, Emilia’s quest for validation and self-discovery and revelations regarding Chilean history in the late 1800s. Not all the strands worked for this reader. Emilia’s tale seemed less compelling than her mother’s and the Chilean strand got me more interested in actual events than what was happening in the arc of the novel. One could also make a “small” case that the Chilean past has hints of the current political climate in the US. There are better Allende novels to pursue. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

It seems weird to say this, but I am a fan of Isabel Allende, despite not being a fan of many of her books. I loved A Long Petal of the Sea, which was published in 2021, and hadn’t really read anything of hers since then, so I was happy to receive a copy of her latest, My Name Is Emilia del Valle, from Random House-Ballantine in exchange for my honest review.

Many people associate her with Chile, and this book is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to learn about Chile’s history, culture, and people while being entertained by terrific writing by a renowned female author…and while the book is set in San Francisco as well as Chile, it is the parts set ibn Chile that I found most interesting.

The protagonist in this one is Emilia del Valle Claro, raised in the 1870s by her mother and stepfather (her bio-dad seemed to me to be somewhat of a scoundrel, living in Chile).
Before becoming a writer at the age of 39, Allende worked as a journalist, TV host, and school administrator, so having Emilia work as both a writer and journalist seems perfect. After meeting Eric Whalen, a fellow journalist, the two of them embark on a series of adventures that had me cheering for them, while learning way more than I expected about what life was like for a woman in Chile during the 1870s.

It is, as expected, beautifully written, and I enjoyed it tremendously. Four stars! And that “not a fan of many of her books” refers primarily to magical realism not being among my favorite genres. Bu as a fan of strong women, I highly recommend this book.

After having read and loved A Long Petal of the Sea, I didn’t hesitate to pick up this book.

This historical fiction revolves around the Chilean Civil War, which occurred in the 1860’s. The main character is Emilia de Valle, a journalist, who travels to Chile both to cover the war, and to uncover the truth of her father and her roots to the country.

The novel is good I just didn’t find it as immersive as A Long Petal of the Sea. It seemed to drag on a bit more and the characters weren’t as relatable.

First, in full disclosure, I am a fan of Isabel Allende. I have read most of her books and am so grateful to the publisher, Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, and the author, Isabel Allende, for the privilege to read this advanced copy through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

The book is set in San Francisco, California, and Chile. The story dives into the life of the protagonist, Emilia del Valle Claro. Emilia's mother and stepfather are a delight to "get to know." Through their wisdom, Emilia becomes a strong-willed woman during those times (1870s). Emilia's biological father seems to be a bit of a scoundrel living in Chile. Emilia works as a writer and journalist, where she meets Eric Whelan, a fellow journalist. The reader can't help but cheer Emilia and Eric to be daring. Through their adventures, the reader learns much about Chile's history, people, government, and culture. This book gives accurate and insightful information into the times of the 1870s for women and life in Chile. It is presented with a very interesting approach.

This book has a sense of adventure, romance, and history throughout. If any or all of these categories interest you, I highly recommend this book. Some characters, such as Paulina del Valle, crossover from Allende's previous books, but it is not necessary for the reader to be familiar with those books. I loved reading another Allende story and recommend it.

This author has such immense talent at storytelling. She uses such beautiful language it’s hard not to be captivated from the beginning! This was my first time learning about the civil war in Chile- I enjoyed learning about women’s roles at this times, and of course loved Emilia in particular. She was so brave and independent.

My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

I hate to say it but I did not really like this book very much. I have read a goodly number of books by Isabel Allende and the only one I liked less was Island Under the Sea and that was so long ago that I really don’t remember why I disliked it. I just finished the short story, Lovers at the Museum and thought it was very good.
But back to this book. The characters were mostly not very likable except for the stepfather. The historical part was interesting but not really compelling and the end section was kind of ridiculous. I plan to read The Wind Knows My Name soon so I am not giving up on this author just because of this one book but it was just not for me.

This was an interesting read about a time period I’m not familiar with. I really loved the opening section in San Francisco! As Emilia makes progressively more and more dangerous life choices seemingly without any plan (getting involved in war journalism, then joining the battlefield in uniform, then wandering off into the wilderness without any training) I did get frustrated with how she keeps getting saved completely by the grace of other characters risking their lives to help her. It’s interesting in a way, because being able to charm other people into helping you presumably is a big part of succeeding at journalism, but the book is in Emilia’s point of view and so it’s pretty clear this isn’t something she’s doing, it just keeps happening to her. But I loved how vivid the setting was and I enjoyed learning about a part of history I didn’t know anything about previously!

Thanks to Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende.

I love historical fiction and this story has you between San Francisco and Chile in the middle of a Civil War. Emilia is a fascinating character and this is a story of family, self-discovery written by one of the best storytellers in Isabel Allende.

Over the years I have read a number of Allende's book, some I loved and some not no much. With fascinating and detailed research, Allende paints a portrait of a woman, Emilia del Valle, advanced for her time in the late 1880s, leaving San Francisco to go report on Chile as tensions heightened leading to a civil war. This little known piece of history is vividly described, both the political situation and the gruesomeness of the conflict. While the character has substance and pushes against the norms of accepted society, I still felt a certain remove from her. Possibly the translation could be accountable or it may be the author's intention. An excellent example of how historical fiction can transport us to other times.

This started off strong for me but by the second half of the novel I wasn’t interested. I think this was because I wasn’t connected to the characters especially Emilia. She felt very distant even though she was the main character. I appreciated the setting and the rich historical details but wish there was more connection with the characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.