Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
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:
Yes
Thanks to Ballentine and Netgalley for this advanced copy!
Isabel Allende is a great for a reason: she writes compelling characters in beautiful stories, highlighting women who travel the lengths of the world to know themselves and be independent and fierce in their choices and convictions. Emilia del Valle is not the exception. Born in California, she lives her life, going to Chile to cover the Civil War and prove herself as a journalist. She takes lovers, she meets family she didn't know existed, and she continues to live her fullest life possible. I love Allende's writing and I love her female characters. They are so human and wonderful and a joy to follow.
Isabel Allende is a great for a reason: she writes compelling characters in beautiful stories, highlighting women who travel the lengths of the world to know themselves and be independent and fierce in their choices and convictions. Emilia del Valle is not the exception. Born in California, she lives her life, going to Chile to cover the Civil War and prove herself as a journalist. She takes lovers, she meets family she didn't know existed, and she continues to live her fullest life possible. I love Allende's writing and I love her female characters. They are so human and wonderful and a joy to follow.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
informative
reflective
tense
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
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Historical Fiction + Literary Fiction
My Name is Emilia del Valle is a historical novel set in 1866 in San Francisco. It follows the protagonist Emilia right before her birth and how her mother got pregnant with her when she was an Irish nun. Her Chilean aristocrat father didn’t want to do anything with her or with her mother.
When Emilia grows up, she starts writing stories and novels under a male pen name. And then she ends up writing a column in The Daily Examiner under the guidance of Eric Whelan, a reporter who becomes her mentor. Their work collaboration and partnership get stronger with time.
When an opportunity arises for a reporter to go to her dad’s homeland, Chile, which is on the brink of a civil war, Emilla signs up for it, and she gets a new contract where she can now write under her real name instead of a male pen name. Eric becomes her partner in this mission, and the two find themselves in very dangerous situations. Being there will also give Emilia the chance to search for her father and his family.
The story is narrated in the first-person style from Emilia’s perspective, and through her voice, we follow her journey, which shows how a person can grow and mature in the most difficult circumstances. If you love stories with a strong female protagonist, then this novel is the one for you.
This is the third book I've read by the author, following the highly enjoyable Violetta and The Wind Knows My Name. Like those two, this story is deep with a rich historical setting, especially the parts that take place in Chile. The author did an excellent job showing the tension and the very tense mood of the people during that time.
I'm unsure how historically accurate the book is since I haven't read anything about Chile before, but the author presents things in a very realistic and believable way. The story encompasses themes such as coming of age, feminism, and the search for one’s identity and roots. Allende’s prose and exceptional storytelling enhance its richness.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the ARC of this book.
adventurous
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:
Yes
Grateful to #NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the ARC!
Emilia del Valle is a writer and journalist born in San Francisco in the late 1800s to an Irish mother and an absentee Chilean father. She grow up to become a journalist who travels to Chile as a foreign correspondent to cover the Chilean Civil War of 1891. While there, she promises her mother to reconnect with her father and in doing so, Emilia builds connections to her ancestral homeland despite the political upheaval.
I know very little about the history of Chile and this period in particular and this novel made me interested in learning more about that history. Emilia is a remarkable character and I greatly enjoyed her story. This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in exploring unique historical settings.
Emilia del Valle is a writer and journalist born in San Francisco in the late 1800s to an Irish mother and an absentee Chilean father. She grow up to become a journalist who travels to Chile as a foreign correspondent to cover the Chilean Civil War of 1891. While there, she promises her mother to reconnect with her father and in doing so, Emilia builds connections to her ancestral homeland despite the political upheaval.
I know very little about the history of Chile and this period in particular and this novel made me interested in learning more about that history. Emilia is a remarkable character and I greatly enjoyed her story. This novel will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction and are interested in exploring unique historical settings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Torture, Violence
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5⭐
Get me an author who can do both. Isabel Allende pulled my heart out and stomped on it a couple times while also educating me about the Chilean revolution of 1891. This is why she's a master storyteller and I just appreciate being in a world where she writes books.
Get me an author who can do both. Isabel Allende pulled my heart out and stomped on it a couple times while also educating me about the Chilean revolution of 1891. This is why she's a master storyteller and I just appreciate being in a world where she writes books.
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I had enjoyed this author‘s previous novel the letter and the long Petal of the sea. She has a strong south American voice and interesting and great storytelling skill
This book follows the story of emelia who is born to a Chilean aristocratic father with whom she has no contact as she grows she develops a fierce ambition and desire to write even if at that time the novel is set this was a very unusual pathway for a young woman to take. We follow her as she starts to write her own novella’s using a man’s pen name in order to get published and then as she decides to take on journalism and in the particular war journalism when she is posted to Chile to follow a civil war that is taking place there.
There is a sweet love story wrapped inside the historical novel. I don’t usually read Ants but this was nice to find inside the historical elements.
I was quite quickly immersed in the novel and enjoyed reading it very much. The author has a clear flowing writing style making the novel an enjoyable read. The setting in South America and Chile in particular is interesting and as an additional element to the story.
I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK and return for an unbiased review. The book is published in the UK on the 6th of May 2025 by Bloomsbury publishing PLC
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahS books.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon and Waterstones.
I love everything that Isabel Allende writes and this epic tale was no exception. Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for the advance review copy!
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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