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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4 stars for a historical fiction book about a civil war in Chile in 1891. The author was born in Peru and raised in Chile. She now lives in the US. I have read and enjoyed two of her previous books. The protagonist is Emilia del Valle Claro. She establishes herself as an author under the pen name Brandon J. Price, first writing dime novels and then getting hired as a newspaper columnist. The editor agrees to send her and 1 other reporter, Eric Whelan, to Chile, to cover the civil war.
There was an actual civil war in Chile in 1891 and many of the events and persons in the book are actual historical figures, including the Chilean President, José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández.
The war arose out of a dispute between the Chilean Congress and Balmaceda over who he could appoint to his cabinet. The army sided with the President and the navy supported the Congress.
The forces supporting the Congress won and there was a massacre of the President's supporters. Emilia participates in one of the battles as a nurse, while writing articles critical of the rebels from the Congress.
There are descriptions of people being killed in battles and in the massacre, but not overly graphic.
One quote by Emilia: "I no longer know what I witnessed and how much I only imagined; it is all a jumbled confusion of horror in my memory. I had never seen violence and death up close--nothing in my twenty-five years of existence had prepared me for so much barbarism, so much suffering."
The translation was excellent.
Thank you Amy Jackson at Random House Publishing Group for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#MyNameIsEmiliadelValle #NetGalley
Pub Date May 06 2025
There was an actual civil war in Chile in 1891 and many of the events and persons in the book are actual historical figures, including the Chilean President, José Manuel Emiliano Balmaceda Fernández.
The war arose out of a dispute between the Chilean Congress and Balmaceda over who he could appoint to his cabinet. The army sided with the President and the navy supported the Congress.
The forces supporting the Congress won and there was a massacre of the President's supporters. Emilia participates in one of the battles as a nurse, while writing articles critical of the rebels from the Congress.
There are descriptions of people being killed in battles and in the massacre, but not overly graphic.
One quote by Emilia: "I no longer know what I witnessed and how much I only imagined; it is all a jumbled confusion of horror in my memory. I had never seen violence and death up close--nothing in my twenty-five years of existence had prepared me for so much barbarism, so much suffering."
The translation was excellent.
Thank you Amy Jackson at Random House Publishing Group for sending me this eARC through NetGalley.
#MyNameIsEmiliadelValle #NetGalley
Pub Date May 06 2025
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Publication date 6th May 2025: thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early copy!
It's been a while since I read a book by Isabelle Allende (pre-GoodReads come to think of it!), and it took a little while for me to settle into the style of this, but I ended up loving it.
My Name is Emilia del Valle is the story of Emilia, a girl brought up in San Fransisco in the 1890s after her wealthy Chilean father abandons her mother Molly Walsh, a nun, before Emilia is even born. Molly is filled with bitterness and wants revenge, giving her daughter her true father's name in the hope of some inheritance to come... However, she remarries and Emilia is brought up by the man she regards as her true father, Don Pancho Claro: an enlightened, optimistic scholar who encourages Emilia to look beyond the confines of her gender and station, to pursue her true goals in life.
She begins by writing 'dime novels' at seventeen - formulaic, sensationalist, cheap novels published in both Spanish and English - under the pseudonym of Brandon J Price, as a woman writing such melodrama was deemed inappropriate. From this starting point, she becomes a journalist, first travelling to New York, and eventually to Chile, where the novel really begins.
I found it quite a slow read up to this point, but in Chile, Allende writes with simultaneous ease and intense emotion of her home country. Emilia is sent to cover the civil war in Chile, where at least 10,000 men were killed; her longing for adventure is over sated, as she places herself at the centre of the action. The conditions are harsh, merciless - it makes for quite difficult reading. Details are not spared. Emilia, once squeamish about the sight of blood, is changed utterly. She travels with the other foreign correspondent for the newspaper, Eric Whelan, and their relationship evolves as the brutality of war surrounds them. By the age of twenty-five, Emilia experiences so much pain, sees the depravity of human nature, and experiences it it first hand. She is no longer the girl brought up looking after her younger brothers and teaching at her father's school, and her adventurous spirit won't let her stop travelling...
The characters feel very real, although some points are quite detached. The Chilean Civil War is not something I knew about before, but I found myself looking up the places, the dates, the people... it's all real. It really reads like a memoir; some people have criticised it for this, but I found apt for the story Allende wanted to tell.
A fascinating history lesson, an unconventional romance, a coming-of-age story, an examination of ways women can push at the boundaries of expectations - this novel is beautiful. The ending wasn't quite satisfying for me (I might have preferred a more open ending), and the beginning was slow, but it's definitely worth reading. 4.5 stars.
It's been a while since I read a book by Isabelle Allende (pre-GoodReads come to think of it!), and it took a little while for me to settle into the style of this, but I ended up loving it.
My Name is Emilia del Valle is the story of Emilia, a girl brought up in San Fransisco in the 1890s after her wealthy Chilean father abandons her mother Molly Walsh, a nun, before Emilia is even born. Molly is filled with bitterness and wants revenge, giving her daughter her true father's name in the hope of some inheritance to come... However, she remarries and Emilia is brought up by the man she regards as her true father, Don Pancho Claro: an enlightened, optimistic scholar who encourages Emilia to look beyond the confines of her gender and station, to pursue her true goals in life.
She begins by writing 'dime novels' at seventeen - formulaic, sensationalist, cheap novels published in both Spanish and English - under the pseudonym of Brandon J Price, as a woman writing such melodrama was deemed inappropriate. From this starting point, she becomes a journalist, first travelling to New York, and eventually to Chile, where the novel really begins.
I found it quite a slow read up to this point, but in Chile, Allende writes with simultaneous ease and intense emotion of her home country. Emilia is sent to cover the civil war in Chile, where at least 10,000 men were killed; her longing for adventure is over sated, as she places herself at the centre of the action. The conditions are harsh, merciless - it makes for quite difficult reading. Details are not spared. Emilia, once squeamish about the sight of blood, is changed utterly. She travels with the other foreign correspondent for the newspaper, Eric Whelan, and their relationship evolves as the brutality of war surrounds them. By the age of twenty-five, Emilia experiences so much pain, sees the depravity of human nature, and experiences it it first hand. She is no longer the girl brought up looking after her younger brothers and teaching at her father's school, and her adventurous spirit won't let her stop travelling...
The characters feel very real, although some points are quite detached. The Chilean Civil War is not something I knew about before, but I found myself looking up the places, the dates, the people... it's all real. It really reads like a memoir; some people have criticised it for this, but I found apt for the story Allende wanted to tell.
A fascinating history lesson, an unconventional romance, a coming-of-age story, an examination of ways women can push at the boundaries of expectations - this novel is beautiful. The ending wasn't quite satisfying for me (I might have preferred a more open ending), and the beginning was slow, but it's definitely worth reading. 4.5 stars.
medium-paced
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My lukewarm rating is by no means an indication of the quality of the writing or the story itself. It simply wasn't a thing I was all that interested in. I think I'm just so burned out on political corruption in the real world that I can't enjoy reading about it any more, even when it's a work of fiction. The writing is masterful and I liked the main character, but I really struggled to get through it for reasons that have nothing to do with the author's work. This was just a matter of personal taste and I can definitely see the value of it for someone else.
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
If you like to read about a strong female character combined with a pivotal time in history, this is one book you won’t want to miss. Emilia del Valle is the illegitimate child of a former nun and a Chilean aristocrat. She knows nothing of her father other than his name and country of origin.
Fortunately for Emilia, she was raised by a wonderful father that encouraged her education and independence. It’s the late 1800’s and Emilia is already a published author and a columnist for a newspaper, although she works under a man’s name.
When Emilia and another colleague are given the opportunity to travel to Chile to cover the civil war, Emilia sees it as an opportunity to find and meet her father. What she doesn’t realize when she arrives in Chile is that this journey will be a turning point in her life and one that leads to self discovery of who she is and where she belongs.
The story tells much about the civil war and people who played a part during that time. Allende does not sugarcoat the horrors of war and its impact on the people in Chile. Allende also relates the beauty of Chile and their customs and beliefs throughout the story.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am pleased to recommend this to other readers and give my honest review.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
I really enjoyed this book, as usual from Isabel Allende. It ties historical events and human spirit together so well. I felt a lot of the themes it touched on are especially poignant given the current political state in the US. I will say though Emilia came too close to death too many times and did not die which felt a little too happy ending to me lol.
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to @prhaudio for the review copy of this audiobook! And thank you to @Netgalley @randomhouse and @ballantinebooks for the chance to review this ARC.
I always appreciate the chance to learn about a new piece of history. And in this book we travel to the country of Chile in the 1890s to observe and experience their Civil War. The conflict is viewed through the eyes of Emilia Del Valle, a female reporter bucking tradition by traveling from America as a war correspondent.
Emilia’s character, though fictional, was fascinating and her life served as an excellent device to showcase the history both of San Francisco and Chile in the 1890s. Her determination to become a writer when women were not expected to do anything besides be wives and mothers, was inspiring. The book is written as a first person narrative and told in factual non-emotional prose that took some getting used to. I don’t know if the tone is original or added in translation. But it was definitely unique.
Although I learned a lot of history and was riveted by the descriptions of battle and the aftermath of war, I found the ending a bit pointless and not tied in well with the rest of the book. I also would have appreciated an audiobook narrator with more distinct voices and accents. The choice to not use Hispanic or Chilean accents for characters that spoke English, I felt took away from the story.
Overall I loved learning about a new to me time period in history but I don’t know if I completely recommend the book.
I always appreciate the chance to learn about a new piece of history. And in this book we travel to the country of Chile in the 1890s to observe and experience their Civil War. The conflict is viewed through the eyes of Emilia Del Valle, a female reporter bucking tradition by traveling from America as a war correspondent.
Emilia’s character, though fictional, was fascinating and her life served as an excellent device to showcase the history both of San Francisco and Chile in the 1890s. Her determination to become a writer when women were not expected to do anything besides be wives and mothers, was inspiring. The book is written as a first person narrative and told in factual non-emotional prose that took some getting used to. I don’t know if the tone is original or added in translation. But it was definitely unique.
Although I learned a lot of history and was riveted by the descriptions of battle and the aftermath of war, I found the ending a bit pointless and not tied in well with the rest of the book. I also would have appreciated an audiobook narrator with more distinct voices and accents. The choice to not use Hispanic or Chilean accents for characters that spoke English, I felt took away from the story.
Overall I loved learning about a new to me time period in history but I don’t know if I completely recommend the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A