Violeta: ‘Storytelling at its best’ – Woman & Home
£4.30
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‘Epic, beautifully crafted . . . Gripping from start to finish’ DAILY TELEGRAPH
‘A must for historical fiction lovers’ COUNTRY AND TOWNHOUSE
‘A new novel by Isabel Allende is always a treat’ DAILY MAIL
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One extraordinary woman.
One hundred years of history.
One unforgettable story.
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first daughter in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events. The ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.
Told in the form of a letter to someone Violeta loves above all others, this is the story of a hundred-year life – of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Bearing witness to a century of history, it is a life shaped by the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.
Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination and sense of humour will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.
READERS LOVE VIOLETA
‘Allende is truly a master of storytelling … I didn’t want to reach the end’ *****
‘A tour de force … Stunning’ *****
‘Beautifully written and intensely dramatic … I loved every word’ *****
‘Spellbinding, captivating and absorbing’ *****
‘One of my favourite authors … I always find myself completely drawn into her richly detailed narratives’ *****
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Additional information
| Publisher | 1st edition (25 Jan. 2022), Bloomsbury Publishing |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| File size | 2416 KB |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Not Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 319 pages |
by Sreela
As a novel this covered this woman’s varied experience, spanning Latin America and the US, at a time of rapid political change. Criminal activity, the private dispensation of justice, form the backdrop of a woman who has business sense, and who through this 100 year period makes money. This of itself is a novelty. It was full of surprises, and sub plots which sidled cleverly around contemporary politics. Easy to read, and as much a social history of her times as a novel about interactions and relationships between a wide range of characters. A good read.
by Amazon Customer
But it read like one. A fascinating tale combining fiction with historical fact. She writes well and is a great story teller
by MM Reviewer
5 vibrant stars for 100 colourful years that defined Violeta’s life. A story of love, tragedy, abuse and survival that is interwoven with the real historical events in South America. Over the years Violeta sees many of her relationships change as people come and go in her life and the woman who once grew up in a wealthy home faced financial ruin, poverty and hardship.
A complex tale that delivers on everything and candidly told in the form of letters, from Violeta to her grandson Camilo, making this a very readable story.
There is richness to the themes, poignancy to the story, tragedy experienced by many of the characters and beauty in the writing. Another fabulous book by Isabelle Allende.
The Plot
“I was born in 1920, during the influenza pandemic, and I’m going to die in 2020, during the outbreak of coronavirus. What an elegant name for such a terrible scourge.”
Violeta’s story is one of survival, through the Spanish flu pandemic, only to tell her story during the current pandemic. It was also a story of endurance through so much hardship and political unrest and turmoil where government officials and death squads acted with absolute impunity. However Violeta was a woman who despite the changing Political and economic environment managed to survive despite living in a tumultuous marriage which often saw her skate perilously close to danger with her husband’s mafia type connections and abusive nature.
The story explores her relationships with her son and daughter, her brother a lifelong supporter and ally of Violeta. However central to the story is her passionate and often violent relationship with her husband, as they spent much of their time together in a perpetual cycle of love and hate. More importantly for me it is a story of personal growth and sacrifice and learning to play the best game with the cards you are dealt.
“The reality is that everyone is responsible for their own life. We’re dealt certain cards at birth, and we play our hand; some of us lose, but others may play skilfully from the same bad hand and triumph. Our cards determine who we are: age, gender, race, family, nationality, etc., and we can’t change them, only play them to the best of our abilities. The game is marked by challenges and chances, strategizing and cheating.”
Review and Comments
Allende’s stories draw on deep knowledge of the historical period that makes this story feel authentic while the candid way the story is written allows the reader to identify with the characters, the story, and the dark themes very easily. So, whilst the story and themes are intense, they never feel heavy.
My only criticism would be the striking similarities between this and the House of the Spirits, and while both are excellent stories, I would like more variation in the storyline and not the familiar pattern of abused women at the hands of a popular dominant male character.
Nevertheless, this is such an emotionally charged and sweeping story with epic qualities to the writing, the plot, and historical backdrop.
Immersive, moving and insightful. A perfect blend of fact and fiction and of the ordinary and extraordinary events and people that shape Violeta’s life.
by Fron Cats
This was an enjoyable read, Violeta’s story was interesting but there were times when I almost gave up as it wasn’t as gripping as some of the other books I’d read recently.
by Helen Carty
Book .. so it is for reading on my trip abroad this week …
by Sandra McEvoy
Storytelling in beautiful letters, a unique style that totally pays off. I was sceptical say first, but I’m so glad I went with it as I couldn’t put it down. This book evokes so many emotions, it makes you feel part of the passionate story. Totally recommend it.
by S. Hawley
Beautifully written with insightful emotional intelligence that I found inspirational. The merging of the different countries and cultures were illuminating.
by Amazon Customer
This story covers 100 years of a woman’s life and reads as if it is an autobiography. Very clever and a lovely journey through life.