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spinesinaline's review against another edition
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Well this certainly was not a traditional love story but a very enjoyable read.
I have to say, I went into this book expecting a much lighter story. This is not that and while I did enjoy the book, it took some time to adjust my expectations.
I’ve heard a lot about Allende and I would really like to read more of her work, even if this one wasn’t stellar for me. That said, I learned a lot about Chile and Guatemala’s history and I appreciated this first-person perspective on the experience of refugees and immigrants coming to America. There’s a lot of trauma in these pages, mostly reflective as this cast of characters share their histories with each other, but it can get quite graphic.
I really liked each of the three characters we get to spend time with and though it’s a traumatic recollection in part, the mystery and intrigue was a humorous addition to the story. By the latter half, it becomes clear that the book is aiming to be a love story but that felt like an odd addition, sticking out from the tone we’d had thus far, so the ending was a bit awkward for me.
I listened to this one on audio and while I enjoyed each narrator, one for the three characters, it was a bit difficult to follow dialogue. Each chapter is from the perspective of one of these characters and so for example the ‘Lucia’ narrator would read the Lucia chapter. However, the Richard and Evelyn’s dialogue within that chapter would also be read by the ‘Lucia’ narrator. I would’ve preferred if the character’s narrator for each could’ve stepped in for their respective dialogue to make it clear who was speaking.
I have to say, I went into this book expecting a much lighter story. This is not that and while I did enjoy the book, it took some time to adjust my expectations.
I’ve heard a lot about Allende and I would really like to read more of her work, even if this one wasn’t stellar for me. That said, I learned a lot about Chile and Guatemala’s history and I appreciated this first-person perspective on the experience of refugees and immigrants coming to America. There’s a lot of trauma in these pages, mostly reflective as this cast of characters share their histories with each other, but it can get quite graphic.
I really liked each of the three characters we get to spend time with and though it’s a traumatic recollection in part, the mystery and intrigue was a humorous addition to the story. By the latter half, it becomes clear that the book is aiming to be a love story but that felt like an odd addition, sticking out from the tone we’d had thus far, so the ending was a bit awkward for me.
I listened to this one on audio and while I enjoyed each narrator, one for the three characters, it was a bit difficult to follow dialogue. Each chapter is from the perspective of one of these characters and so for example the ‘Lucia’ narrator would read the Lucia chapter. However, the Richard and Evelyn’s dialogue within that chapter would also be read by the ‘Lucia’ narrator. I would’ve preferred if the character’s narrator for each could’ve stepped in for their respective dialogue to make it clear who was speaking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence, War, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Cancer, Car accident, Death, Suicide, Trafficking, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Racism, Miscarriage, and Rape
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