As I read this book, I wondered how it related to Violeta, which I feel I must reread. Emilia is brought into this world by her mother, who had been a novice nun in San Francisco who was seduced by a Chilean playboy.
The backstory of her mother was a beautiful part of the book. Her mother marries, and Emilia is raised by him to be an educated, independent woman who becomes a writer of dime novels and eventually a journalist.
In 1891, Emilia and another correspondent, Eric Whalen, proceed to Chile, where a civil war is raging. I found this part of the book to be quite harrowing and found it difficult to read as Emilia became immersed in the war and the aftermath.
The next section, where Emilia proceeds to discover the land she inherited from her father seems almost a different book, a journey of discovery, of herself and her heritage as she explores the natural beauty of the land.
As this is a book by Allende, the beauty of the writing never disappoints. I learned a great deal about Chile, a land that Allende keeps deep in her heart.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the EARC. The opinions are mine alone.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
This is the first book I have read from this author and I will definitely want to check out her previous books. This was a part of history I did not know much about and I enjoyed learning more through our narrator’s eyes. This checked a lot of boxes. Adventure. History. Romance.

I did not like this, I'm very sorry to say. I think I should've paid more attention to what others were saying and read the blurb and genre tags more closely instead of going in with expectations based solely on the fact that it's written by Isabel Allende. It was far dryer than I was expecting and I can't say I was really into the plot (sometimes wartime themes are just hit or miss with me), and I guess I was missing the touch of magical realism I've come to associate with Allande. That's my fault and not the books'.

Anyway, I struggle with rating this low and would rather just not rate at all since this is a case of a book being bad for me and not a book being <bad>.

Isabel Allende's "My Name is Emilia del Valle" transported me to 1891 Chile through the eyes of a woman determined to break barriers.

The story follows Emilia from her beginnings as a dime novelist hiding behind a male pseudonym to her daring assignment covering a violent civil war. What starts as professional ambition transforms into a deeply personal journey when she begins searching for her birth father amid the conflict.

✍️ Fearless female journalist
🔥 Secret male pen name
⚔️ Civil war frontlines
❤️‍🔥 Unexpected wartime romance
🌄 Chile's breathtaking landscapes
👪 Abandoned daughter's quest
🦋 Battle-forged transformation
✨ Mesmerizing historical memoir

Though the middle section occasionally loses momentum, the Battle of Concon scenes are genuinely moving—I had to pause to collect myself. Allende's gift for making history breathe kept me reading well into the night.

Recommend if you love historical fiction with fierce heroines, complicated family dynamics, and settings so vivid you can almost taste the salt air of Valparaíso.

I commented in an earlier review of The Wind Knows My Name that Allende's writing seemed to have changed in her two most recent books (Violetta and The Wind Knows My Name) to a more journalistic style that's a bit less engaging than her earlier novels, but no less worth reading. That stylistic change has been maintained in My Name is Emilia del Valle, the story of an Irish-Chilean woman who goes to Chile as a journalist to cover the 1891-92 Civil War, and also in hopes of meeting her father, who had never acknowledged her, and delivering a message to him from her mother. The narrative includes copies of Emilia's newspaper columns, as well as vivid descriptions of the events of the war, and of the social mores of that time.

Having almost no knowledge of South American history, I found it very interesting to read a little about Chile's wars with Peru and Bolivia, which preceded the Civil War, and to get a sense of the politics involved in the latter. Emilia del Valle is portrayed as a very strong and independent woman, and a teacher-turned-writer who is determined to prove her competence and value in the male-dominated world of journalism.

Emilia del Valle is born in San Francisco in 1866 to an Irish nun who was seduced and discarded by Gonzalo Andrés del Valle, of the wealthy del Valle family first introduced in Allende’s The House of the Spirits. Pauline del Valle, from Portrait in Sepia, is Emilia’s great- aunt and makes an appearance, but this is a stand-alone novel. We follow Emilia through much of her life in her “desire to see the world and experience everything intensely.”

Emilia was a quiet, introverted bookworm as a child, but grew into a fiercely independent young woman thanks to her loving stepfather Don Pancho Claro, “Papo.” He supported her desire to write her successful dime novels under the name of Brandon J. Price. When she convinces the editor of San Francisco’s Daily Examiner to hire her as a reporter writing as Price, her popularity increases. She works with a fellow reporter, Eric Whelan, who becomes her mentor and friend; he grows to respect and admire her. Emilia fights for every step forward in her career. In 1891, she and Eric are assigned to report on the brewing civil war in Chile – each covering opposite sides. In conjunction with her assignment, her mother, still bitter over Gonzalo’s abandonment, entrusts her to deliver a rancorous letter to him. Emilia meets her father and some of her del Valle family for the first time.

Allende delivers another winning character with her trademark easy writing style. But in the second half, the narrative of the war gets bogged down in repetitive details of savagery and miniscule details which don’t move the story along, i.e., characters concerned about where to put their coats during the heat of battle before rushing to nurse the wounded. Read for the strong characterization of Emilia, who stays true to herself throughout her many adventures.
--The Historical Novels Review, May 2025

Isabel Allende has written another amazing story following the life of Emilia del Valle. This is a profound story of a woman who was born out of wedlock to a mother that had planned to be a nun. Emilia thankfully had a wonderful childhood, mostly because of the love of her stepfather. Emilia became a young woman that pushed thru the barriers of being a woman during a time in history where that was far from the norm. Emilia found a way to become a published author using a man’s name and then finally having a byline of her own. Isabel Allende takes us on a historical journey that you don’t want to end.

Isabel Allende is a must-read author for me and her latest offering, "My Name is Emilia del Valle" is absolutely fantastic. Allende is truly the queen of historical fiction; she is a true master at making the past come to life with endearing and relatable characters. As most US citizens, my knowledge of South American history is virtually nonexistent, so I welcome the opportunity to learn alongside being entertained. Allende excels at bringing her characters to life and Emilia is no exception. She is intelligent, brave, independent, and strong-willed; a reader can't help but fall in love and cheer for her. I love deeply detailed, descriptive writing, and this book hit all the marks for me there; I was fully transported from my living room to late-1800s San Francisco and then to Chile. It is obvious that the subject matter of this book is deeply personal to its author and it is meticulously researched. I very much enjoyed the time I spent with Emilia del Valle and highly anticipate Ms. Allende's next book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this wonderful book.

Isabel Allende's writings are filled with strong female characters, usualy with a multicultural background and always to be admired. I happily grabbed her newest book and immersed myself.

Description:
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.

My Thoughts:
Emelia's story is entrancing and I raced through it. Her determination to be a writer in a man's world presented her with many challenges to overcome. The war in Chile was scary and horrific; however, Emilia remained brave and did what she could to help. I really liked her character and Eric Whelan as well. They seemed to make a great team. When Emilia disappeared I thought everything was over. What had happened to her? This is great historical fiction, and I liked the romance as well.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This is my first Isabel Allende novel and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!


Emilia del Valle is probably one of my favorite historical female main characters in a very long time. She was strong, intelligent, progressive and knew her mind! I enjoyed the details about traveling by boat, life in Chile and its customs, and her struggles of being an unmarried woman trying to make it in a male dominated industry.

I only wish I would have read this book in Spanish. I am new to this author and did not realize she wrote in Spanish, and this was a translated novel. There were some words used here that I never see in English written novels, and I wonder would the author had used them had she written the novel herself in English.

If you enjoy historical fiction with a little bit of romance and a strong female lead, this is the novel for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This was an intensely, emotionally and wonderfully immersive novel. I was left in tears at several points as we followed our FMC (Emilia) through her childhood, young adult years and adulthood. The first-person POV allows the reader to experience all of her "firsts" in a very tangible way as she came into her own and began to write her own story.

Through deeply human interactions and intimate writing, Isabel Allende does a masterful job of weaving a tale about love, loss, war, grief, reconciliation and self-discovery.

I was so thoroughly enthralled in the plot that I found it hard to put this book down. As far as historical fiction goes, this is one of the most profound and gut-wrenching stories I've ever read. Emilia del Valle's heroism, bravery, wit and fiercely proud womanhood is one I'll be thinking about for a long time to come.

This was my first time reading Isabel Allende, and I was really looking forward to My Name Is Emilia del Valle after hearing so much about Allende’s body of work. I can confidently say that her prose is absolutely gorgeous: it’s lush, lyrical, and evocative. She has a way with words that drew me in immediately, and at times I found myself underlining passages just to hold onto a piece of this work for longer.

That said, the story itself didn’t quite work for me. The narrative felt clunky in places, in a way that made it difficult to stay emotionally invested. The backdrop of the Chilean Civil War is a major thread throughout the novel, but the way it was presented made it feel more like a historical footnote than an emotional or political force. I wanted to care more, but the structure of the story kept me at arm’s length.

After finishing the book, I browsed through other reviews and noticed several longtime Allende readers pointing out how parts of this novel felt recycled from her earlier works. As a newcomer, I didn’t catch those echoes myself while reading this, but I can see how this might come off as less inspired to longtime fans.

Ultimately, My Name Is Emilia del Valle had moments of brilliance, but for me, it didn’t quite come together. I’m still interested in exploring more of Allende’s novels, but I’m hoping for a more cohesive and emotionally resonant story next time.

I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Isabel Allende for this ARC.

I liked how strong the women characters are in this story. The women are both intelligent and fierce, and don't let others dictate what they can do. I like how bold and comfortable Emilia is with who she is and how she lives a life, that most women wouldn't dream of doing, in the time period she lives in. I like how comfortable Emilia is in her body and how comfortable she is to new experiences. I loved how Emilia got involved in the conflict in Chile and was able to report what was truly happening there and not write anything from hearsay. I liked how Emilia was able to know her Family in Chile and explore so many aspects of the country, that seem so wonderful and harsh at the same time. Truly an adventurous story.
I love all the secondary characters, Emilia's mother who taught Emilia to be kind and how to carry on, her stepfather, who was more a father then Emilia's own. I loved her Family in Chile especially her Aunt who was another strong women who was very protective of her family and quirky too. All in all the story is an adventure about a young woman who isn't afraid of exploring the world.

I want to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of this story about being young and adventurous.

Isabel Allende delivers another stellar historical fiction novel. This story transported me in time and place to the Chilean Civil War of 1891. I became utterly immersed in Emilia's journey and experiences - I did not want the book to end. And that is the hallmark of great historical fiction. If this genre calls to you, I recommend you pick this book up. If you are on an around-the-world reading journey, this book is PERFECT for Chile.

Thanks to NetGalley for gifting me an ebook version of the novel in exchange for a review.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. Because I really wanted to find out if her Mama got what she wanted from that man.

But Emilia is also such a great character and you can't help but to keep reading to find out more about her.

And learning more about Chile in the process was nice as well.

thank you netgalley, the publisher and isabel allende for the e arc!!!

! 3.75 ⭐️ ! out MAY 6TH

this was an interesting historical fiction about our protagonist emilia del valle, an aspiring writer/journalist, as we follow her journey from san francisco to chile amongst a civil war to cover it & while there she discovers some long awaited answers to her questions about her roots including her father. this book delves into the horrors and realities that war entails, it’s done in a way that isn’t too gory but still very brutally honest. the romance aspect wasn’t a huge part of what made this story interesting ( in my opinion ) though i still appreciated the element/ use of it as i feel it gave light to the fact that during war, love and hope is still possible/ exists. i also enjoyed that is was done in a way where self love and exploration is valued alongside romantic love. i enjoyed most of the side characters; angelita has a special place in my heart, i found her story so tragic but appreciated getting to know her. ultimately, this was a great multi-layered story with themes of war, identity, hope and resiliency. i would recommend for any lovers of historical fiction, strong female leads or simply interested in reading more of that genre!!

⋆˚꩜｡ quotes⋆˚꩜｡

* “How is it possible that, from the dawn of their presence on earth, men have systematically set out to murder each other? What fatal madness do we carry in our soul? That propensity toward destruction is the original sin.”
* “I needed solitude and silence. I needed time to absorb the new outline of the world as I now understood it, after looking death straight in the eye.”
* “Do not try to understand what happened, my friend. It is an enigma. Guard that moment in your memory like a treasure,”
* “Pain is only pain, it can only be endured, as Angelita Ayalef taught me.”

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance ecopy of this title. Emilia del Valle is a woman ahead of her time. Born illegitimate in San Francisco in the 1800s, she is whip-smart, and her intelligence is is cultivated by her step-father. As a young woman, she begins writing dime novels under a male pseudonym. She aches to write under her own name, and write for a newspaper. She eventually gets her wish to become a journalist, but must wait to begin writing under her own name. When the Chilean civil war begins, she manages to convince her editor to let her accompany her male-journalist friend so that they can write about the war from different angles. She manages this by using her Chilean heritage (her biological father) to her advantage. While in Chile, she meets blood relatives, joins female camp followers in battle, and eventually is captured and almost killed. She and her writing partner fall in love, but she is drawn to visit a very remote parcel of land willed to her by her father. Emilia feels she must make this pilgrimage alone, and we see the strength of her true mettle in the process. The story is terrifically engaging, and the characters are fully-drawn, and captivating. The setting is descriptive; the reader can definitely visualize all the places Emilia's work and adventures take her to. Highly recommend.

My Name Is Emilia del Valle is my first Isabel Allende novel - I've wanted to read her work but been intimidated by the idea of starting her backlist - and this was an intriguing first Allende read. Emilia del Valle is a young woman who ends up as a journalist covering the civil war in Chile, where she begins discovering her roots and truly coming of age. Allende weaves history and character so well as she captures Chilean and American history and a story of discovering family and love, surviving war, and more.

My Name is Emilia del Valle lingers long after the final page. As someone who has lived in Chile, I was especially moved by the way the country’s history pulses through this story—with all its unrest, beauty, and resilience.
Emilia’s journey is both intimate and political, and her evolving connection to Chile felt deeply personal. This novel is a tribute to women who write, resist, and remember—and to Chile itself.

The setting:

"San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun [novice], left pregnant and 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 sixteen, she begins to publish pulp fiction under a man’s pen name. When these fictional worlds can't contain her sense of adventure any longer, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at the San Francisco Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.

...an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, along with Eric, and while there, begins to uncover the truth about her father and the country that represents her roots. But as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in danger and at a crossroads, questioning both her identity and her destiny."

And so the crux of the story begins.

I requested this title because I like Isabel Allende -- some of her books way more than others. This was a very much enjoyable read.

I liked Emilia's story--and back story. I particularly enjoy a novel about strong women and this fit the bill!

There is love, family, struggles, defeat, victory, tragedy, searching, and insight into Chilean society--as well as that of Latinos [and women as the underclass] in the US. And particularly much information about politics, war, and class society in Chile.

Descriptions I loved:
"large eggplant of a nose of an inveterate alcoholic"
"fog as dense as meringue"
"strung out on the rapture of violence"

I loved Paulina del Valle--she was quite the character! Much life when she entered the narrative!

I was hooked from the start. I thought this was a fast, interesting read, and a good yarn. But also depressing because of the Chilean political situation.

I did not anticipate the ending, but not faulting. 4.5, but not pulling the trigger on rounding up.

Recommend.