i honestly just could not get into it. it started off slow and then didn't pick up, and my attention span struggled. the cover was so beautiful, and i feel like i might've gotten a little too excited based on that.

A Name to Remember

Isabel Allende has been called a literary legend. She ranks among the most important and influential contemporary novelists from Latin America, even being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2014. Her latest work, “My Name Is Emilia del Valle,” is an historical novel running from the Mission District in San Francisco to the Chilean Civil War of 1891.

Emilia del Valle was raised in San Francisco by her stepfather, Francisco Claro (Papo), who married her mother, Molly Walsh. Molly, a former novice nun, had become pregnant after falling in love with Gonzalo Andres del Valle, a wealthy Chilean aristocrat who subsequently abandoned her. Although Molly harbored a deep-seated resentment toward Gonzalo, Emilia's affection and regard for Papo overshadowed the absence of her biological father.

In the late 19th century, Emilia aspired to be a published writer, a virtually impossible feat for women at the time. As a teenager, she conspired with Papo to publish dime novels using a male pen name. Driven by her literary ambitions, she later secured a position as a human-interest columnist for The Daily Examiner under the pseudonym Brandon J. Price. It was here she met and developed a relationship with Eric Whelan, a reporter who was assigned the more “serious” stories. When civil war was brewing in Chile, the two reporters persuaded their editor to assign them, with Eric focusing on the war and Emilia on its human impact.

Prior to leaving, Emilia assures everyone she will take all the necessary precautions for her safety. She also begrudgingly swears to Molly that she will personally deliver a letter to her biological father; a letter Molly believes is filled with all the spite and bitterness her mother has harbored for years.

Once in Chile, Emilia meets with the President and his head general, her aristocratic aunt, and finally, her father. Amidst historical events and a romance, the vivid depictions of wartime brutality and the victors' vengeful actions profoundly impact Emilia. Shaken by the violence, she doesn't succumb but instead embarks on a quest for self-discovery. The novel emphasizes the transformative power of confronting harsh realities in the search for one's true self.

Drawing on her family's displacement following the 1973 coup d'état and the assassination of her cousin, President Salvador Allende, the author's flight from Chile to Venezuela resonates with the historical context of the 1891 Chilean Civil War. This personal experience of exile mirrors the historical backdrop explored in her writing.

Allende often features strong, fearless female protagonists, and Emilia del Valle in this novel is no different. Set in 1891, Emilia boldly confronts a male-dominated society in her search for fulfillment. In this quest to find her identity she makes some decisions that may seem self-centered and insensitive to those she loves, but these uncompromising choices would be considered admirable if made by a man.

This historical novel effectively portrays a nation's evolution, featuring compelling characters, especially Emilia's mother and stepfather, alongside memorable secondary figures. The author skillfully maintains a seamless pace across different settings, creating a unified narrative. The book excels in its depiction of historical context and character development.

I need to immerse myself in the works of Isabel Allende. This was quite a baptism.

Thank you to Random House Publishing, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #MyNameIsEmiliadelValle #NetGalley.

I have read and enjoyed all the authors works. This was hard to finish as it's told to the reader not as readable as her other work.
The main character Elimie is leaving her San Francisco home to be a journalist in the war in Chile. Her calling is not a popular one for women but she follows her heart She is a courageous strong woman of a time when women are expected to be subservient. Her character is one of striving to follow her own dreams.
She is also seeking her long lost biological Father and his family. She is soon arrested in the war but manages to escape to her Father's family to heal. As the family drama comes to light she has important choices to make . The story is a deeply personal family drama.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinion is my own.

My Name Is Emilia Del Valle
By Isabel Allende

This book is not so much a novel as a character study of sorts. It is the story of a woman of mixed blood who grew up in the 1890s in San Francisco with her Irish mother and her Papo (her step-father). While her mother wanted to shelter Emilia, Papo recognized her intelligence, her curiosity, her bravery, and, above all, her wandering spirit. Emilia overcomes society's restrictions on women to become a journalist.
Together with her colleague, Eric Whelan, she journeys to Chile to cover the growing unrest which is heading the country toward civil war.

But for Emilia there is another reason for the trip: to meet the man who seduced her mother – and deserted her when she became pregnant with Emilia. Meeting her father's family - and later her dying father - is a revelation to Emilia. But as the country spirals down to civil war, Emilia is caught up in the barbaric and brutal reality of the war. She is arrested and about to be executed when Eric, who is now her lover and about to become her husband, rescues her and returns her to her Chilean family to recuperate from her war injuries, both physical and emotional. It is at this time that she discovers that her father, who has claimed her as his daughter, has left her a tract of land in a remote untamed area far to the south. Now Emilia must make a choice: to return to San Francisco with Eric to plan their wedding; or to head south on her own to answer the call of her inheritance.

This book is beautifully written. The descriptive passages bring the reader into the heart of the settings. While somewhat similar to several of her other books Allende has produced another story worth reading.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

📖 About the book:
In 1866 San Francisco, the daughter of an Irish nun and a Chilean aristocrat who abandoned her pregnant mother grows up determined to make her own path. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia Del Valle becomes a writer, first publishing pulp fiction in secret under a man's name. Later, as a journalist, she convinces her editor to let her cover the civil war in Chile, the country of her father and her roots. In her father's homeland, Emilia starts uncovering truths about her family while navigating a country in conflict.

💭 Thoughts:

I'd been waiting for this book since they announced the title. Del Valle is my last name too (from my mom's side). Isabel Allende has long written about the Del Valle family from Chile, who, like mine, came from Spain, and this is one of the reasons that I've always felt connected to her characters.
As a longtime Allende reader, I've read many of her novels and this one didn't disappoint. This isn't just historical fiction, it's a compelling tale of a woman discovering herself across two cultures. I loved Emilia Del Valle; she's smart, daring, and fiercely authentic in a world that demanded conformity. Her passion for storytelling, her boldness, and her determination to claim her own identity transform what could have been a simple search for family into an exploration of what it truly means to belong.
Another beautiful story from one of my favorite authors! I loved the audiobook, nartated by Coral Peña and Johnathan McClain.

Read if you like:
🌷 Strong female protagonists
🌷 Rich historical settings
🌷 Journalism/war reporting
🌷 To learn about different countries and cultures

Isabel Allende remains at the top of her game as one of the most lyrical creators of prose to ever set ink to paper. Emilia del Valle weaves love, loss, magic, and death against the backdrop of 19th century California and Chile. While the themes are familiar to readers of Allende, Emilia is a fully realized character, a woman all her own. She reminded me a bit of Eva Luna, though with a more practical bent. Recommended for fans of Isabel Allende, though I would not encourage a reader not familiar with her work to pick it up as an introduction.

Renowned Chilean American author Isabel Allende gives us another book that brings her heritage to the forefront. This book kept me riveted with every turn Emilia takes. From the outset, she’s unwilling to bend to societal norms of the 1800s, and she embarks on a career as a fiction writer and journalist. Her subsequent move to Chile to work as a war correspondent is an excellent historically grounded twist. (Recommendation sent to readers of WordSmarts.com email newsletter)

"My Name is Emilia Del Valle," tells the story of an intelligent, adventurous, loving, and tenacious young woman living in the late 19th century. In the pages of this book Isabel Allende is able to vividly, walk us side-by-side through Emilia's early life experiences which span from being the 'product' of a scandalous tryst, to her life-altering and harrowing experience as a journalist during the Cilean civil war.

I needed my tissues for this one.

The only less than positive critique I have for this book would be that at points I felt the war chapters were a bit longer than necessary. Other than that I quite enjoyed this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing (Ballantine Books) for the advanced digital copy of this book. My reviews will be posted to my socials on May 13, 2025, (NetGalley, Fable, and Goodreads).

I have read and loved almost every Isabel Allende book out there. This one was not a hit for me. I felt like I was reading the same story I had read many times and the action of the story was slow to proceed. I wanted to love it as I loved Daughter of Fortune, House of the Spirits, and even Zorro! In this story Emilia does not know who her father is and she finds herself on assignment in Chile where she will have a chance to meet him and find out more about what happened all those years ago between her mother and him. This seemed too convenient for me. At the time women were not journalists of any kind of serious nature, but she lands this job, falls in love with another journalist in Chile and she goes on to write about the war from close up and gets to meet her father and satisfy her curiosity about that part of her mother's life.
Allende's writing is great even if this story did not do much for me. I still gave the book 3.5 stars. I think I have just read too many by her on this topic to appreciate this one as much as previous ones.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine and NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Emilia Del Valle is the fiercely stubborn and strong willed illegitimate daughter of the Irish orphan, Mollly Walsh, who was destined to be a nun until a Chilean man left her pregnant and unwed. Lucky for her, Don Pancho, a local schoolteacher takes her in, marries her and treats Emilia as if she was his own daughter.

With education comes curiosity and ambition and Emilia was bubbling with it. Supported by both her mother and stepfather, she started writing dime novels under a male pseudonym. Eventually she convinced the SF Examiner to hire her as a writer and then later as a reporter. At the Examiner, she meets Eric Whelan and the two embark on a dangerous adventure to Chile where the country is on the brink of civil war. In Chile, Emilia mingles with political leaders and eventually the Del Valle family where she meets her father. She and Eric get entangled in the political unrest and bloody battles as Emilia keeps pushing through the danger around her, determined to make a name for herself and claim what is rightly hers.

This is a gritty novel of the brutal realities of war, set in Chile in the 1860’s’s. Emilia is a fierce and ambitious character who doesn’t take no for an answer. The history is so well researched and as usual, I learned much about the Chilean civil war. While the middle dragged a bit, the details about the politics and history made up for it.

Thank you @ballantinebooks @netgalley for an early digital copy of this novel.

For more reviews and bookish posts visit: https://www.ManOfLaBook.com

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende is another historical fiction book starring a young woman with Chilean origins. Ms. Allende is a prolific award-winning American-Chilean author.

Emilia Del Valle is the daughter of Molly Walsh, an Irish nun and a Chilean aristocrat who left her mother destitute. Her mother moved to San Francisco, where she met a man who fell in love with her and raised Emilia as if she were his own child.

A restless, passionate, and independent thinker, Emilia started publishing works under the assumed name of a man. Soon she got a job at a newspaper and an assignment covering the Chilean civil war.

This book is written in the first person, a historical biography of Emilia herself. Even though she’s only in her mid-twenties, Emilia has already lived a full, exciting, and dangerous life.

As with many of the books I read by Isabel Allende, My Name Is Emilia del Valle, is well written, and the characters jump off the page. Much credit to translator Frances Riddle, who managed to beautifully retell the story in English, keeping the Latin spirit of it.

I found it fascinating to view, once again, Chile’s history through the eyes of a young woman. Emilia is brave, but the horrors of the battlefield and the inhumanity of humans to one another show her another aspect that she wasn’t exposed to in her intellectual upbringing.

The book does have a slow part somewhere in the middle, but most of it is a page-turner. We leave Emilia still a young woman, and I hope Ms. Allende has a plan to tell us more, since I’m sure she’s destined to do great things in Chile or San Francisco.

My name is Emilia del valle is a historical fiction by Isabel Allende.

Late 1800’s feminist and journalist Emilia del Valle Claro travels from California to Chile to discover her roots; a father she has never met and a country embroiled in civil war. She decides to fund this trip by reporting on the war from the inside, sending articles back to her editor in San Francisco. But she gets a little too close to the war and finds herself in serious danger. Will she ever make it back to her family in California?

Emilia is a likable character, there are lots of Chilean politics discussed and feminist ideals that get slightly challenged throughout the novel. But, overall, I was underwhelmed. It’s very similar to her other novels, without adding differences or different discourse. It would be nice to see Allende branch out, because she is a very talented author. Three stars for this one.

Isabel Allende’s “My Name is Emilia Del Valle” tells the mesmerizing tale of Emilia Del Valle, a young woman navigating life as a journalist in the late 1800s. Told in the form of a memoir, Emilia chronicles her journey, starting out as an author of dime novels, writing under a male pseudonym. True to Allende’s style, we are given insight into Emilia’s mother’s past, weaving a multi-generational narrative that paints a vivid picture of the social and cultural influences that have shaped Emilia’s life. Eventually, she leverages her notoriety to seek employment as a journalist for the National Enquirer. This propels her on a harrowing adventure oversees to cover the civil war in Chile, where she hopes to fulfill her mother’s wish for her to finally meet her biological father.

As always, Allende’s lyrical prose has a hypnotic quality that pulls you in and refuses to let go. If you have read Allende’s Involuntary Trilogy, you will recognize more than a few familiar faces, although it is not necessary to read any of her previous works to enjoy this one. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves romance, drama, suspense, and history.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes I’m faced with a dilemma when reviewing and rating books: It’s not that the book is bad, it’s just that the book isn’t my thing. It’s just missing something, usually an unidentifiable ingredient, that would bring it right into my orbit of interest, but the book as it exists is just right outside of what I might consider a good book. Instead it’s relegated to being just another average book.

That’s what happened with My Name is Emilia del Valle. At face value it has just about everything I love in a historical fiction novel; indeed, while reading it I just kept ruminating on what this book was missing, because Isabel Allende isn’t lacking in writing talent or research skills and her characters are strong. Could it be something was lost in translation? I don’t think I’ll ever know. I just needed something more from this book and didn’t get it.



I was provided a copy of this title by the author and the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. All reviews rated three stars and below will not appear on my social media. Thank you.

Isabel Allende brings her considerable talents to the page again with her most recent historical fiction book. Her ability to capture time and place and write fascinating, fully-developed characters - especially strong female protagonists, is exemplary.

Emilia del Valle is the product of a seductive encounter between her mother Molly Walsh, a devout Irish woman pursuing the religious life, and a wealthy Chilean aristocrat named Gonzalo Andres del Valle, who promptly moves on. While her mother harbors deep resentment towards Mr. del Valle, Emilia is raised instead by Francisco Claro, a wonderful, supportive stepfather who encourages her passion for writing.

Moving from writing dime store novels under a male pseudonym to working for a newspaper, Emilia uses her connection to Chile and her friend, fellow San Francisco journalist Eric Whelan, to convince her publishing editor to allow her to write about the growing Chilean War under her own name. He sends Eric to cover the war and assigns Emilia to cover human interest stories, though she desperately wants to be where the action is.

What follows is headstrong Emilia throwing herself into the midst of war and peril, covering the side of the current Chilean president, while Eric covers the side of the rebels. It’s fraught with danger, tension and graphic war detail, as she embeds herself closer and closer to the action, and I felt like I was right there with her. In the midst of this, she also finds her birth father and his extended family and discovers unexpected love.

Where the book worked best for me is the chapters before and after the war, where I could see Emilia’s relationships with certain characters more clearly and spend time getting to know them. I didn’t know how war-heavy and politically detailed the book was going to be for the bulk of the story, though, and I struggled more with those parts. It spares no detail on the brutalities of war, so if you’re sensitive to that, it won’t be the book for you.

It’s a vividly detailed, emotional story with wonderful writing and fascinating characters that I can recommend to fans of historical fiction, war stories and human drama. While I enjoyed it, I didn’t connect with Emilia quite as much as I’d hoped and found the war focus and lengthy chapters a little daunting, but Allende still managed to keep me turning those pages!

★★★ ½

Isabel Allende has said she first decides on her main subject and then selects the narrator she thinks will most effectively tell the story, often choosing strong women confronting obstacles in a man’s world. When deciding to tell the story of the 1891 Chilean civil war, Allende creates a young San Francisco journalist, Emilia del Valle Claro working for William Randolph Hearst’s first newspaper, the Examiner. Daughter of an Irish immigrant mother, step-daughter of a Mexican teacher, Emilia has been brought up being told that her real father, a wealthy Chilean scoundrel named Gonzalo Andres del Valle, owes her an inheritance.

With civil war on the Chilean horizon, the Examiner assigns a pair of journalists to cover the war. Chief reporter Eric Whelan will cover the political/military side and Emilia the human side---the effects on ordinary people’s lives--while, herself, staying away from the conflict zone. Ambitious and determined and having promised her mother she will find her real father, Emilia will soon tackle more than she has been assigned as she gets to know ordinary and important people on the government side while Eric imbeds himself on the rebel side.

Allende divides the novel into four parts. Part One fills in the background story of Emilia’s mother and her seduction by the handsome Chilean rake during his time in San Francisco, Emilia’s earliest years as a struggling female reporter at the Examiner, and Eric and Emilia’s voyage from California to Chile, with separation along the way. Part Two focuses on Emilia’s arrival in Chile and her meeting with an American ambassador, a Chilean general, President Balmaceda, aristocratic Paulina del Valle (matriarch of the del Valle clan and Gonzalo’s aunt and god-mother), and Gonzalo Andres del Valle, himself. Part Three centers on the war, covering such details as Emilia’s role in the Battle of Conçon and Eric’s in the Battle of Placilla. Part Four finds Emilia in dire straits and Eric desperate to find her. Having survived almost certain death and ignoring the order to return to her San Francisco journalist position, Emilia sets out alone on a dangerous trip, determined to see a remote, undeveloped portion of South Chile, as Erik boards a ship returning him to San Francisco. All that remains of the novel is its Epilogue, simply titled Eric Whelan.

Written as Emillia del Valle Claro’s memoir, the book is punctuated here and there by Emilia’s articles for the Examiner. Filled with the war’s atrocities, glimpses into the lives of impacted Chileans and animals, unexpected and touching family drama, a love story, and Emilia’s personal search for identity, Isabel Allende, now in her eighties, proves she can still write a powerful page-turner.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine/Random House for an advance reader egalley. I look forward to Isabel Allende’s next book.

Isabel Allende transported me back in time to the late 1800’s most convincingly to the country of Chile during the time of their civil war. Emilia del Valle’s mother was studying to be a nun when a handsome man from Chile turned her head. Emilia has grown up hearing about her aristocratic father. She is way ahead of her time, working as reporter for a newspaper. When news came in about civil unrest in Chile she convinced her boss to let her go to cover the news as she spoke the language and had a family connection.
What happens when she arrives and during her time there is written so well by Isabel Allende that I felt I was right there in the surgeon’s tent, in the jail cell etc. such a strong woman to have lived her life on her own terms. I found this book fascinating as I caught a glimpse of civil war in another country, the disdain men in power have for strong women, and the power that comes with determination. While I found Emilia to be such an amazingly strong woman, I was also enamored with the Chilean woman that took Emilia under her wing and of course, Covadonga.
The ending was so perfect and suited Emilia’s adventurous nature so well. Still amazed at her ability to travel so far with so little but her determination. The setting seemed ethereal, making me want to visit that remote region.
Many many thanks to Isabel Allende, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this incredibly moving story that deeply moved me. This is truly a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing this digital advanced book! I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I have been a long time reader of Isabel Allende, first becoming enchanted with her writing when I devoured House of the Spirits. 'My Name is Emilia del Valle' is a book that reminded me of Isabel's early work and that is the biggest compliment I could give. We follow Emilia who, through her own writing, tells the story of her life. From the opening scene to the closing line of the book, I was enthralled. Part of Isabel Allende's gift at writing is that she immerses the reader in a story so detailed with flavor and splashes of color. I could see every frown, every character's specific accent, the green of the leaves, the powerful blue rush of the ocean.

Through lush prose, Allende uses dialogue infrequently enough not to be sparse but certainly to ring with importance. I found her characters to be well-rounded and believable. Their flaws and their courage were admirable, their terrors and panic just as impactful. I cared for Emilia and her beloved Papo and scorned mother who, through fierce love and caution, helped guide Emilia through her early years. Influenced by her mother and her kind stepfather, Emilia grew into a stalwart, strong young woman; one aware of her worth and whose self-respect was inspiring. Her desire for the world, for traveling and to breathe the air of different lands was often alien to a homebody like myself but honestly so beautiful to witness.

What Emilia experiences in the first quarter of her life is harrowing and tender; the love she chooses for herself and delivers herself so willingly and innocently to, my god! I loved every bit of the romances she absorbed.

I cried at the end. I let Allende's words flow through my brain, let her conjure those mystical images of wild jungles and foggy lakes, of fearful partings and desperate yearning. How could they bear it? All that trepidation? The civil war in Chile as a backdrop was both educational and awful to read about. Awful business, that war. All wars. In masterful fashion, Allende explores the horrors of war violence and the lengths we go to as humans to defend and lift each other up, to destroy one another, to forget in mass graves the sins of so senseless an act.

Truly a beautiful story of courage, bewildering dread, patriotism and renewed sense of righteousness. And amidst it all, a young woman making her way through the continent, filled to the brim with an eagerness to report the truth, find in herself the core of integrity and commitment to justice instilled in her by her loving parents, and fall in love not only with the sweetest man but also with herself, her dreams, her passion.

5/5 stars

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende is another visit into Chilean historical fiction. While I loved The Long Petal of the Sea, this one fell a little flat for me. The historical setting as always was very well done, but I found it hard to connect with Emilia as a character.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Audiobook Rating: 2 Stars
Pub Date: May 06 2025

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I'm not as familiar with Isabel Allende's novels as I'd like to be. Her latest novel, My Name Is Emilia del Valle, is beautifully written, with descriptions that really bring the time and place to life. Her prose is so rich and vivid—it was easy to picture every scene. For this particular book, I had a hard time connecting with the story, and I never fully clicked with the characters. Still, the writing itself was enough to keep me reading, and I'll definitely check out other of Allende's books in the future!