| Title | : | Violeta |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0593496205 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780593496206 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 322 |
| Publication | : | First published January 25, 2022 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Historical Fiction (2022) |
Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life will be marked by extraordinary events, for 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.
Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling. . . .
She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life will be shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics.
Told through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.
Violeta Reviews
-
It's been a long time since I've read an
Isabel Allende novel, but I do recall loving
The House of the Spirits back in the day. My memory of that book is nothing at all like my experience with
Violeta.
The best way I can describe this book is that it narrates events without passion or urgency, in an unnamed country, through the eyes of a narrator we never come to know. I felt extremely distanced from the story's events throughout the whole book. Though tragedy strikes often-- suicide, life-or-death medical emergencies, to name a couple --I felt it was told in such a cold, detached way, almost as if the narrator was reading from a textbook, not describing the events that befell her own family.
Actually, that paragraph I just wrote is telling. I cannot help myself referring to Violeta as simply "the narrator" because that is how she came across. I often find books where an elderly person recounts their life story very effective, but something about it here made it difficult to ever warm to the characters or feel attached to their circumstances.
The story is that of 100-year-old Violeta's life, written for her grandson. It takes us from her childhood raised by an Irish governess somewhere in South America (never said where but contains oblique references to pandemics and military takeovers) to her marriage, an abusive relationship and the arrival of her two children.
Though the suicide of one's father, a whirlwind romance that turns abusive, and a child with a drug addiction are all horrific things for a person to experience, Violeta's narrative voice remains flat and unmoving from beginning to end.
Anyone got better Allende recommendations for me than this one? -
Consequential
Isabel Allende’s latest novel is spellbinding and beautifully written with the authentic touch of a memoir. In 2020, in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, Violeta del Valle, now 100 years old and in her last days, writes to her grandson Camilo recounting her life story. Born in Chile in 1920 during the Spanish Flu pandemic, there is a fitting inevitability that a century of war, depression, struggle, discrimination, evil, selflessness, love, loss, illness, joy, and accomplishment should end at another watershed moment of global tragedy. Violeta has lived through many joyful and horrific moments, and the complex nature of life is vividly portrayed through her and those she encounters. A life exquisitely captured by the events of her country and Violeta’s journey with family and friends. While Chile is never mentioned by name, the geography, location descriptions, and events reflect the historical path of Chile.
The story weaves compelling characters with the history of tumultuous times in Chile, through military coups, authoritarian leadership, revolts, boom and bust economic cycles, and dubious connections to spies, criminals and drug cartels. Violeta spells out the relationships with her children, brothers, aunts, uncles, friends, neighbours and the men in her life. Some partners bring her joy, others pain and abuse, but they shape this fascinating woman. Being an astute businesswoman, she overcame commercial issues and discrimination that prevented her from directly owning her business or bank account. She plotted her course with her eldest brother as they grew a successful business keeping the details hidden from the authorities and others.
Isabel Allende is masterful at her characterisation, absorbing the related details while never letting the story’s momentum ponder into over-detail. The significant events and range of characters keep this epic story engaging from beginning to end.
To capture a thought in my mind using a famous and appropriate verse:She loved, laughed and cried.
A fabulously entertaining story that I would highly recommend, and I want to thank my Buddy Ceecee for recommending this to me in glowing terms - you are on point as usual. I also want to thank Bloomsbury Publishing, Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing a free ARC in return for an honest review.
She had her fill, her share of losing
And now, as tears subside
She finds it all so amusing
To think she did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way
Oh no, no, not her
She did it her way -
Beautiful and mesmerizing!!!
This is a soul portrait of a family and friendships….(aging and memories)…
….a deep understanding of the bonds that hold us together.
Gorgeously written, as Isabell Allende can do miraculously!
I loved my time spent with this novel.
Full review to follow in a day or two.
I’m Back!
I enjoyed this book thoroughly!!! When asked “who are your favorite authors?”….Isabel Allende is always one of them.
I’ve gone out of my way to meet her three times at book readings here in the Bay Area. Her book readings are so popular - attendees arrive an hour early to reserve their chair - or risk standing either in the far back of the room - or in some cases - outside the bookstore listening in.
I could sit and listen to her talk for hours.
Isabel Allende, Chilean author and journalist was born in 1942 in Lima, Peru. She is a tiny gorgeous spitfire…..
…..a wise - bright woman and skillful diligent writer.
She’s written over 20 books that have been translated into more than 35 languages. For those who can read her books in Spanish - are truly blessed. I must read them in English - and still feel blessed.
I’ve enjoyed Allende’s early books ‘and’ her later books -(some readers haven’t liked some of her more relatively recent books, expressing “she’s back” when she writes one they like ‘again’)….
but honestly…
I like them all: fiction, oldies, newbies, non fiction (3 ‘amazing’ memoirs)….I’m just not picky when it comes to one of my favorite human beings shorter than I am….
…..from her magical realism stories, fantasy and myths— to her ‘realistic’ books — I’m a reader who equally enjoys melting into ‘anything Isabel Allende writes.
So….ABOUT “Violeta”…..
…..Violeta Del Valle has lived a hundred years. “Where did all the years go?”
This is ‘exactly’ the type of book I was sooo looking forward to - (an epic story spanning personal and global history over a hundred years).
My aunt will be 90 years old next month and the family is planning a birthday celebration- filled with photo family slides - and 90 years of storytelling - a family gathering feast of love for the greatest Auntie Jeanne in the world.
So….I had some very direct interest to read Violeta’s story
Isabel Allende begins at the beginning (a once upon a time type ‘feeling’)…..we feel excited to read on >>>>>>>
Violeta was born in 1920, South America [The Camellia House is where Violeta spent her childhood - for which we will learn a lot about her personality- temperament/naturally rebellious - her family, and Violeta’s governess, Miss Josephine Taylor — who eventually tamed Violeta’s childhood sassy inappropriate public behaviors.
It seems no accident that Violeta was a born on a stormy day……( matched her natural-stormy-disposition).
Violeta was the first girl born after five brothers. [every baby girl born into a family of all brothers - already knows how powerful and complex that can be].
It was no different for Violeta. The journey we take with her is one fascinating enjoyable story.
Soon after her birth — we follow The Great War, The Spanish Flu, and The Great Depression.
That’s not all!!
Lots more to rock&roll our happy reading boats!
Violeta tells her story - in the form of a letter - to Camilo - her grandson.
Her stories are endless.
Starting with her own complex-aristocratic family - from the capital - to living on a farm with the Rivas family, (a modest, respected family in the area)….
…Lucinda and Abel Rivas were the parents of the governess, Miss Taylor, who were kind to host the De Valle family….when they needed to ‘exile’ ….[readers will learn - why - and ‘what happened’ is interesting and compelling.
…We learn about the scandalous tale that ruin Violeta’s father - Arsenio Del Valle’s reputation.
…plus…..
…Violeta experienced a devastating shock and loss as a child ….that will stay with her for the rest of her life.
... We get to know several wonderful supporting characters and 'their' challenges.
…From wealth to poverty…
…hurricane-pandemic- Vietnam war - drugs, music, the sexual revolution, self discovery, horseback riding, Woodstock… gangsters and schemers and spies in Miami…
…risky behaviors (Violeta’s daughter- Nahuel- kinda took after her mother?/!/?!…..only it manifested a little differently because modern times ‘were’ different)
…Coming of age…for both Violeta and her children
…Love relationships- marriage - children - divorce- chaos - joy - growth ….a private detective named Roy Cooper - (an ex-co -who saved Violeta’s daughter) - secrets - economic ruin - global financial catastrophe - fraud - suicide- affairs - panhandling - communes -alligator infected swamps - a Jewish psychiatrist - and an array of many more humanizing experiential formidable years of one woman who lived long enough to pass on her stories.
A few appetizer excerpts:
Here goes:
NOTE: none of the excerpts would be considered spoilers.
“The global financial debacle paralyzed their country. They didn’t know it yet, but they’d be a nation most greatly affected by the crisis, because the exportation system that sustained them would collapse.
Crime rate increased— homelessness, unemployment, soup kitchens…
The capital looked like a city at war. Students went on strike, as did teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers and other unions are united by single demand for the general to step down.
The general, barricaded himself in his office. He couldn’t believe that is like had been turned on its head overnight, and order the police to continue caring out their duty”.
“I quickly lost the innocence that my family had so carefully guarded throughout my childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Rivas did not attempt to shield me from the realities of alcoholism, abused women and children, knife fights, rape, and incest. Life here was very different from the bucolic ideal of a rural existence we’d imagined when we first arrived”.
“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 skillfully from the same bad hand and triumph”.
“All lives are banal and we are all mediocre”.
I tell ya….I love our pint-size talented storytelling.
Isabel Allende’s literary contributions are triumphant!
Totally enjoyed this novel >>> and honest --there is so much more I haven't shared-than did! I highly recommend it!
Thank you Random House Publishing, Netgalley, and Isabel Allende! -
4.5
If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I was reading a memoir; it’s so intimate and detailed. But then, it’s an Isabel Allende novel and I wasn’t surprised to find the heart and soul of her main character, Violeta del Valle in these pages, seeming to me like a real person.
With the back drop of historical events and politics from 1920 - 2020, Violeta’s 100 years take us from one pandemic to another (although this current one briefly touched on - thankfully), from an unnamed country in South America , from city to rural locality, to Cuba, Miami, Los Angeles, but always back to her home country.
It’s the story of a life, told in a letter to a grandson, a story of family, family by blood and family by chance, a story of riches and poverty, grief and joy, lust and passion and mostly love. An absolute must read for fans of Allende .
I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House/Ballantine through NetGalley. -
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. However, core to the story was the perpetual cycle of hate and lust in Violeta's own marriage that made this story so memorable, as we are led through an obscene pattern of attraction and rejection, and passion with rage. 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.
One of my favourite authors and a highly recommended book. -
Happy pub day to this marvelous historical fiction 🥳🍾🎈
Since I’ve read House of Spirits I became a true fan of this brilliant author and her well written, mind spinning historical novels with magical realism vibes and realistic chapters based on true events.
Violeta is another heartfelt, intense story, taking us a long journey which lasts 100 years: giving a mind blowing, sentimental, heartbreaking, compelling life story of Violeta Del Valle. It’s focused on a woman’s lifetime in South America: how her challenging experiences, her relationship with her own family, her surroundings shaped her and recreated her.
The story is told by the letters written to her grandson, starting from 1920’s to the present time, giving photographic, realistic descriptions about the places, cultures, traditions, customs so impeccably. You truly feel like you are transported to another time line, another continent, country, city and you may visualize everything the author tell you from her vivid, detailed, colorful perspective.
Violeta comes to earth as the first daughter of a family of five very animated sons. It’s an epic history lesson giving snippets from very effective events shaped the future lives of humanity including Great War, Spanish Flu and Great Depression.
We observe the loves, losses, beliefs, family dynamics, dreams of a woman in 10 decades.
It was heart wrenching, filled with complex emotions and well developed time travel you shouldn’t dare to miss as like any other great Allende novels!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. -
4 solid stars for book of historical fiction, set in Chile, from 1920 until 2020. It is a series of letters by a grandmother to her grown grandson. Violeta was born during the Spanish flu epidemic in 1920. She lives to be 100 and dies of old age during the coronavirus epidemic.
She recounts her life story for her grandson, who is now a Jesuit priest. She has seen much turbulence in her life--WWII, a military coup, dictatorship, murder of friends and family, divorce, being abused for decades by her lover and rebellious children.
I enjoyed this book and recommend it to fans of the author, literary fiction and historical fiction. The descriptions of life in Chile are vivid. This is the first book that I have read by Isabel Allende.
Two quotes:
Home birth in 1920 Chile: "Under my Aunt Pilar's direction, Torito, the boy we employed for a wide range of chores, climbed a ladder to hang a labor sling from two steel hooks that he himself had installed in the ceiling. My mother, kneeling in her nightdress, each hand pulling on a strap, pushed for what felt like an eternity, cursing like a pirate, using words she'd never utter under normal circumstances. My Aunt Pia, crouched between her legs, waited to receive the newborn baby before he could fall to the floor."
English governess: "She had straw-like blond hair, and that skin as transparent as rice paper, that girls from cold countries sometimes have, which over time become spotted and mercilessly wrinkled."
Thank You Isabel Allende and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books, for sending me this ebook through NetGalley.
Pub. date Jan. 25, 2022 -
Imagine living 100 years … one complete century of, not only your own life evolving and changing, but your country and the world around you as well. What stories would you have to tell about what you’d lived through and experienced, and what would you leave to those who continue on after you?
Violeta del Valle was born in Chile during the Spanish Flu pandemic and she dies during the Coronavirus pandemic, but what an incredible life she lives between them! This work of historical fiction reads much like an actual memoir, written by Violeta in a long letter to her beloved grandson, Camilo. In it she details a life that sees prosperity and ruin due to the Great Depression, re-forging her own prosperity in a time where society frowned on women in business, marriages and affairs that range from sedate to tempestuous, the joys and sorrows of motherhood, war in the world at large and political upheaval and danger in her own country, a plethora of social issues, and ultimately finding new purpose in her later years.
I’ve never read Isabel Allende before, but she truly has a gift of immersing you in the story and allowing you to see and experience through the eyes of another the world she’s describing. I felt transported and invested in the people and places she took me to, and there were a LOT of them. This is a character-rich novel, and there are so many vibrantly drawn characters to enjoy. Each one brought a wealth of personality and interest to the story, and Violeta’s travels took her to so many places that I almost felt like I was traveling with her.
Although they’re two different stories, I felt the same draw to this story that I did to Sofia Segovia’s book
The Murmur of Bees, and there are points the two have in common, such as the descriptions of the Spanish Flu pandemic, and some parallels between the character Simonopio in Segovia’s book and Torito in this one, both of whom I loved.
It’s a wonderful story, both joyful and heart-breaking, and it’s beautifully told. Honestly my only minor issue is just that the retelling of a hundred-year life can, understandably at moments, feel a little long! Having said that, we should all be so lucky to have a life as full as Violeta!
★★★★ ½ (rounded to 5)
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Netgalley and author Isabel Allende for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. It’s due to be published January 25, 2022. -
This was my first book by Isabel Allende and she made me cry like a baby. I didn't expect to have such an emotional reaction to this novel, but I did and it was worth every single tear. I was provided an advance copy of this title; however, all thoughts are my own.
Violeta is a story that travels through the lifetime of the character Violeta. It begins with her birth in South America in 1920 just as the Spanish Flu hits. While her family is unaffected by it, things change as the world is brought to its knees by the Great Depression. It is starting here that Violeta experiences such loss and change. Her family moves to a more isolated area where she grows up and takes readers on the journey through her life.
Each part of this book is written in letter format to someone that Violeta loves greatly. While I won't say who that is here because I don't want to spoil the novel, it definitely makes for an intriguing story that comes full circle. One of the things that made me fall in love with this novel was this quiet, patient writing that I got on each page. It travels through a 100 years of time, but I was able to soak up every event with such clarity and precision. It almost felt as though Violeta was writing the letters to me. There is a paralleling of events that take place in Violeta's life. Though readers spend time learning about the men she loves, her children, people within her community, Allende is also careful in covering the major political events that occurred at the same time including the women's suffrage movement, the Cuban revolution, the Great Depression, the Chilean dictatorship, and more. As someone who is a huge history nerd, I appreciated getting that history within the context of the story.
I think the beauty of this novel is really the idea that all things come full circle. Readers learn so much about Violeta's life, the good, the bad, and the ugly. At the beginning of the novel, she is writing from 2020 during the mist of the COVID pandemic. To see her journey through those 100 years was such a privilege for me as a reader. She evolves as many of us do from a child who has everything to one who had to start over. She has a fiery personality and never seems to do anything whether it's a general task or relationship without passion. Most of all she's human. Like her triumphs, Violeta also acknowledges her short comings. It is a beautiful tale of a woman who decided to live her life on her own terms and not solely on the expectations of others. I connected with this in so many ways. The beauty and grace in the writing is sure to appeal to many readers. If you haven't considered picking this up be sure to add it to your TBR. -
Back to the Allende world and the beauty of Chile.
Allende has a natural talent for weaving a story of such vibrant colours, language, culture, traditions and of course characters.
This is another breathtaking one. An epic story that begins with the birth of Violeta in a storm during the Spanish flu. Her journey takes us through the survival of the depression and the exile her family experiences when her father loses their financial
Wealth. She weds, has 2 children with another man, earns her own money through her own creative work. The political disturbances of the country on the verge of collapse and the years of dictatorship.
This is one about family. Of Relationships. Of country. The challenges, the love, the loss.
Allende wraps you into a warm embrace in which you never want to leave.
It’s like coming home. 5⭐️ -
"Violeta" by Isabel Allende is a story of a woman's life lived to its fullest!
My first glimpse of this author was listening to the audiobook of her brief memoir "Soul of a Woman" published in 2020. I was fascinated with her life story, and her robust views on feminism, marriage and sexuality.
"Violeta" was published in January 2022 and on August 2nd of this same year, Isabel Allende will be celebrating her 80th birthday. She continues to lead a remarkable life!
Main character, Violeta Del Valle, is born in 1920 Chile, shortly after the Great War and during the Spanish Influenza Pandemic. She is the youngest child in an affluent family, with five older brothers, and lives in a male dominated culture, era, and household.
What sounds like a memoir is actually a letter from one-hundred-year-old Violeta to her beloved grandson, Camilo. As she nears the end of her long and eventful life, she is gifting him with the memories she holds of the turmoil and passion of living her life to its fullest!
The history this main character sees, experiences and retells to her grandson is beautifully written as this author writes with her heart and soul about Violeta's life. She weaves a story that is vivid and dark, joyous and heartbreaking, pleasurable and painful, fulfilling and disappointing. It feels so personal and emotional, as if the author may have experienced some of this life, as well.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Frances Riddle whose voicing skills are believable as she authentically becomes the character of Violeta. With 13 hours of listening time, it never feels too long, repetitive, or slow.
I love this story and have purchased two more of this author's books. I plan to continue through her backlist until I reach the end. And, I hope there are more books yet to be written!
I highly recommend this book! -
Violeta Del Valle now 100, writes to her much loved grandson Camilo and tells him the story of her incredible life. Violeta was born in 1920 in the midst of the Spanish Flu epidemic which like everywhere else ravages Chile and she will die in 2020 during the Coronavirus pandemic, a strangely symmetrical coincidence of a life circle completed. It’s an amazing story of riches to rags following the 1929 Wall Street Crash and her family’s exile from the capital to Nahuel in the south of Chile where she blossoms. She tells of her loves and losses, her marriages, her passionate affairs one of which has a brutal element to it but which gave her children and her grandson Camilo, ‘her greatest love’. It charts her success as an astute business woman, we view women’s rights, political rights through which there’s a snapshot of Chile’s dramatic changes which have been well documented in her books and in others. The historical context is superb, it’s written with real clarity and includes stories of great bravery such as that of Albert Benoit.
This is a beautifully written, intense, dramatic sweeping saga of a colourful life well lived through some astounding events and I love every word of it. It’s written in the typical Allende visual style so you can see the characters and events spring to life before your eyes which simply enthrals me. The quality of the writing and the story of Violeta leads to a multitude of emotions as her highs are yours and the lows are deeply felt. I love the moments of humour but there’s also the other end of the scale with personal darkness for Violeta, for Chile and the world. The characterisation is fantastic, all are exceptionally well crafted and you get a strong sense of the personalities springing from the pages. The settings are beautiful especially Nahuel (google it, it’s absolutely stunning!) and there are some wonderful descriptions. I especially like the indigenous element which is extremely powerful especially the spirituality which plays an important role in the storytelling.
Overall, I’ve read most of Isabel Allende’s books and in my opinion she’s one of the best authors around as she never fails to take me on a literary journey. This one is spellbinding, captivating and absorbing and is storytelling at its best. What a beautiful cover too, matching the contents.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury Publishing PLC for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. -
The year is 1920, in an unnamed country in South America. Violeta is born into Del Valles family with five boys, a father who takes risky ventures, and mother who refuses to socialize.
Violeta relates her story in a form of a letter to someone she dearly loves. Through her eyes, we see dramatic changes in a span of one person’s lifetime. When the stock market crashes in September 1929, her father’s bold decisions leave the family in a dire situation. The oldest son, Jose Antonio, turns out to be the rock of the family, taking the lead and responsibility to provide for the family.
Violeta’s is the character of a woman who exemplifies a life lived to the fullest, despite all the challenges life serves her. And it brings quite many of them. She lives through political revolutions, tyranny, economic downfalls, and the natural disasters of earthquakes and pandemics. She is born into privilege, and with the Great Depression she tastes poverty, while being quick at adapting to circumstances. Some of her remaining spoiled traits are eradicated completely by farm work and participation in teaching basics to children in remote areas. As a young woman, she shows the ability to make money, while being prudent, careful and calculated - the opposite of her father. She marries a good man, but passion drives her to another, at times, causing her to lose her good judgement. She experiences motherhood with its blissful moments as well as some heartbreaks, including resentment of her own child.
As with all Isabel Allende’s work, the characters are richly textured and set against vivid historical background. The heartfelt writing authentically reflects the lives of Latin American people with a heroine, who is flawed, makes good decisions to prosper herself and her family, but struggles with making the right decisions when it comes to love. The story vividly illustrates a lifetime set during turbulent times, when one’s life’s circumstances can change in a blink of an eye and how one can still rise time and time again.
It is an inspiring story of a woman who lives her life passionately, and despite the challenging times for women of her time, she still lives it on her own terms.
There is a mystery set in regards to location. The exact country in South America is not stated. However, the geographical descriptions and historical facts give hints where it might be happening.
Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense.com -
I can say now that I finally know what people mean when they say they're relieved a book is over. It's been an exhausting read, something I'd not have ever imagined to say about an Isabel Allende book, an author I used to love so much but ended up hating when she became repetitive and formulaic, always churning out samey storylines and characters, and obsessively returning again and again to the one that made her famous, The House of the Spirits.
It was completionism what made me break my very long avoidance of her latest books; I heard this was based on Allende's mother and the protagonist was named del Valle, the same family from her stellar first novel that also reappear in two other novels that make an unintended trilogy. Daughter of Fortune and Portrait in Sepia. I didn't have high expectations, honestly, I learnt long ago to not expect much from Allende, just a need to know what else there was to tell about the del Valle clan. For those who are curious about what the connection between this novel and the two others is,
I feel such utter exhaustion just from thinking what to write as criticism, so I'll be brief: Isabel Allende is fixated on the same kind of characters and the same kind of anecdotes, and keeps repeating the same plots and events over and over in different novels, as if she has nothing original left to say. And it's so tiresome for those who've read more than two books by her, because we soon notice how utterly unoriginal and repetitive she is. This novel is supposed to be a homage to her mother, but instead of writing the actual story of her mother, which would've been original content, Allende just took the same bits and pieces from her other novels to create Violeta, and the other characters, even when she claims the inspiration are new people, are again repetitive. The character of Nieves, for example, has appeared in other novels already, with different names. Why? Because Allende can't think of anything original and recycles the tragic drug-addicted daughters of her ex-husband, whose life she's also exploited for novels before and keeps doing so, as if no reader will ever notice the insulting repetition. The complaint I've seen from other reviewers about feeling like they've read this novel before is 100% warranted and correct, because it frankly is.
And Allende isn't even bothering to at least put more effort into her writing, which has lost quality and not just due to age. She gives the impression that she doesn't write for the love of writing anymore but due to habit, because it's January 8th again and she must write something, no matter if it's crap. She herself admitted as much in one interview to a Spanish-language newspaper where she said that when she sits down to write every January 8th, she thinks "I'll write a bad book, and if it's garbage, I'll sort it out afterwards." Well, she didn't sort this one out, because it's still garbage, and I say that with a sorrowful and disappointed heart.
And because I read this in Spanish, there's no "lost in translation" excuse I could cling to. It's simply a lazily-written book with recycled plots, meaningless detours aplenty, and horridly unlikable main characters that are also recycled, and that's it. At least I can say I honoured my following the del Valle saga till the bitter end, and I'll always love the other novels, especially House of the Spirits, although I'm not sure I can count this one as part of the saga. -
4.5 stars, rounded up
This is only my second book by Isabel Allende, but once again I was entranced. She manages to weave personal stories into the details of the time and place.
Violeta is 100 years old and is writing out the story of her life for her grandson. Starting with the Spanish Flu, which hit Chile in 1920, the story progresses through the Great Depression, The Cuban Revolution, the Chilean military dictatorship and all the major stories of the 20th century. It was interesting to learn how those major events affected the country. “It’s a strange symmetry that I was born in one pandemic and will die in another.”
Violeta was a fascinating woman. She starts as a child of privilege, but after her father loses everything, she’s forced to learn to make due in a rural setting in a remote part of the country. She’s got a wild streak, a desire to do and see it all, to be her own woman. She’s also a passionate woman. She was so realistic I had to remind myself not to be so distressed by her often violent relationship with Julian Bravo, her lover of many years.
It’s a fine line with historical fiction between making us truly see the time and place rather than just telling the reader. Allende walks that line, doing a fabulous balancing act.
My thanks to Netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book. -
"There is no greater power on this earth than story." (Libba Bray)
Isabel Allende stands among the best of the best when it comes to portraying stories that grip you hard and then soften like sheer down. Violeta is long in its telling. Allende is detailed in leaving no stone unturned in describing political upheaval and presenting the deep cuts of loss. She hunches your shoulders over every petal and over every thorn. She frustrates you, at times, with the unending throngs of characters around every corner. And then, she swiftly brings you to your knees with the rawness of a carved cross bearings names.
Violeta was born in an unnamed country in South America in 1920 just after the Great War. Her beginnings reflect what lies ahead. Her mother has had numerous miscarriages and has delivered five sons before Violeta. Her father, Arsenio Del Valle, dismisses the birth even if it bears a daughter. He is engulfed in his shady business deals until the Stock Market and the world-wide Great Depression drains the family fortune.
With no other recourse, the Del Valle family leaves the city to avoid the scandals. They travel to Nahuel, a small farming community reached by train. It is here that Violeta learns to make do with the barest of necessities. With her mother and her two aunts, she and her older brother, Jose Antonio, forge ahead in life. Jose Antonio gravitates toward the good things he learned from his wayward father. He establishes a lumber company and opens the door to a better life.
Isabel Allende creates a panoramic view of the life of Violeta. She is strongly opinionated, relentless in her beliefs, but lacks a "pause" button. We will experience Violeta's inner compass always pointing her in the wrong direction. When it comes to men, she trips over the most jagged of rocks. Her life swings unbalanced when she comes under the spell of a pilot she met one afternoon. The course of her life will be forever changed and that of her two children, Nieves and Juan Martin. We will experience heartwrenching events during these years.
And yet, Violeta was especially carved precisely for her zealous inroads into women's rights at a time and in a culture where such things did not exist. She stood her ground under the most trying of circumstances. Allende will set her story down in so many locations: Miami, Las Vegas, California, and finally Norway. And each time we will see awkward and ill-advised decisions coming from Violeta.....sometimes too late and sometimes too little. But this complicated woman will draw you in again and again. Isabel Allende sees to it.
I received a copy of this novel through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House (Ballantine Books) and to the highly talented Isabel Allende. -
What will you see when you look back on your life?
Violetta was born during the Spanish Flu pandemic on a stormy day 1920 and at 100 years old during the coronavirus pandemic she is writing to her grandson as her life winds down. In her writing, she tells of her childhood years, being the first girl born after five sons. She lives an affluent life until the Great Depression and her family suffers immeasurable losses.
The only thing to do is to move on, and start over in a quieter, remote area where she will mature, grow, have a suitor, and begin a life full of many triumphs and sorrows. She writes of family, of love, of loss, of hardship, and joy. She has seen and experienced many things in her lifetime - pandemics, wars, love affairs, the fight for women's rights, loss, motherhood, achievements, advancements of science, poverty, wealth, and peace. She has lived a full and long life.
Isabel Allende blew me away with
Inés of My Soul. It was the first book I have ever read by her many years ago and it is still my favorite. Allende writes of women who overcome obstacles against the odds, they are all on some journey both emotionally and physically, they have an inner strength, intelligence and find a way to live life on their terms.
Allende is a gifted writer and storyteller. You know when you pick up one of her books that you are in good hands. As she weaves her tales, I find myself immersed in the world she has created. Her descriptions are vivid and lush.
If you haven't read a book by Allende, do yourself a favor and give her a read. This book is a good place to start.
Thank you to Random House/Ballantine and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
www.openbookposts.com -
Violeta is born in South America as the youngest child to a family with five older boys, at the time in history just after the Great War and during the time of the Spanish flu epidemic.
She lives 100 years and dies in 2020 when coronavirus hits. Even after a century of living..at the end she says “where did those hundred years go?”
This story is told by Violeta to a loved one, and it doesn’t hold anything back..her passionate affairs, heartbreak, poverty, wealth, devastating losses, and the political upheavals she’s been witness to.
I really enjoyed the book, especially the first half which was more about herself with her family and close friends.
The second half became a little bogged down by all the political upheavals and other events in history..
Nevertheless, an engaging story.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC! -
Já imaginou ler a história de alguém que nasceu em meio a gripe espanhola, na década de 20, e viveu para testemunhar o mundo paralisado pela pandemia em pleno 2020? Bom, é justamente essa linha de tempo contemplada por “Violeta” que, ainda por cima, conta com a escrita fantasiosa de Allende.
São diversos os momentos históricos que a autora atravessa por meio de seu último livro (best seller em diversos países). Violeta del Valle foi a primeira garota em uma família repleta de meninos. Talvez esse fato tenha tornado Violeta uma mulher que sempre buscava se destacar no ambiente em que vivia. Mas essa tarefa não foi fácil, e nem sempre bem sucedida. Tendo nascido no início do século XX, Violeta vivenciou passagens históricas que afetaram sua trajetória. Ao leitor, toda essa intensa narrativa é apresentada por meio de uma carta dedicada a Camilo, uma figura que até então desconhecemos.
Enquanto ainda criança, a protagonista teve que deixar a vida das cidades e se “refugiar” em um local isolado do país, que não nos é especificado por Allende, tudo como forma de proteção do pai contra a grande crise financeira que afetou o mundo no ano de 1929. E é nesse ambiente rodeado por natureza, com a presença de descendentes de povos indígenas e sob a tutoria de uma jovem europeia que Violeta cresce.
A escrita é bem fluida e gostosa de ler, como é de se esperar dos livros de Allende. Confesso que no meio do livro o ritmo acaba ficando mais lento, mas a autora consegue recuperá-lo na última parte. Talvez isso até seja proposital, já que a autora pretendia mostrar como tantos acontecimentos históricos vão acontecendo em uma vida de alguém aparentemente comum, que não é a heroína, nem a vilã de uma história. Violeta é uma mulher que vive seus amores, sofre suas perdas e questiona injustiças que passam à sua frente.
Nesse ponto, achei bem interessante como a autora aborda algumas questões sociais relevantes sobre as quais nunca havia lido nada tão específico em seus outros romances. É o sinal de que alguns assuntos não podem ficar de lado nos tempo em que vivemos! Leitura que recomendo para todo mundo!
Nota 9/10
Leia mais resenhas em
https://www.instagram.com/book.ster/ -
❤️This feeling when you finish reading a novel, let every word melt in your mouth, engrain the characters and the plot so that they’ll stick with you for a long time…This feeling is pure satisfaction to me! The best feeling I can get out of my reading experiences. 🧘♀️
Violeta is one of those novels that gave me this feeling.
💬An epic storytelling by Isabel Allende of melodramatic lives in a highly evocative, emotionally consuming and loving way embedding elements of magical realism. Sometimes she serves the cliché of Latin America with a meshwork of mafia and decadence, but it was an unarguable fit to the overall historical fiction, which I read with great pleasure.
🥂Cheers to the one and only Violeta who lived an unforgettable life from 1920 to 2020 filled with passion, lust, love, ambivalence, doubts, and fears.
📚Whilst this novel has been my first read by Allende, it won’t be my last one.
🌟Highly recommended!🌟 Easy 5 stars!
IG: nilguen_reads -
4.5 Stars
Violeta entered the world in 1920, the youngest of five children, and the only daughter, during the years of the pandemic that began in 1918, and arrived in South America the year she was born. Soon after, the Great Depression will follow, and their family will settle in a more isolated area, where she spends her childhood, and where she will meet her first sweetheart.
As the story of her life and the life of her family is shared, her personal life is filled with the history of those years whose effects were felt by many, the inequality of the times, the losses and her personal heartbreaks. The Women’s Suffrage Movement had finally made progress in America, which shaped the course of women’s rights beyond those borders.
This story is shared in an epistolary style, she shares her life’s story with a loved one, it covers the hundred years of her life, the memories of her parents, the memories of those she loved, and those she lost, as well. Men she loved for their friendship and caring, and those she loved more intimately. Her children, the struggles and frustrations that went with raising them, and the intensity of her love for them despite the paths they took.
She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics.
While she shares her story, the story of the changes in the world during these hundred years is also shared, as well as her regrets, her confessions and her love for the gift of this life, despite the heartbreaks that are inevitably included.
A lovely and inspiring story of a woman filled with a passion for life, lived on one’s own terms.
Pub Date: 25 Jan 2022
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books -
4.5 stars rounded up
Violeta is born in 1920 in South America during the Spanish flu, the first girl after five boys and several miscarriages. Violeta tells her story to someone she loves when she’s approaching her 100th birthday—during yet another pandemic, this time COVID 19. During those hundred years, there is the upheaval of the Great Depression, marriage to someone she doesn’t love and a long-lasting but emotionally and sometimes physical abusive affair to a man she does. She has children and makes money, but it’s difficult for her to control her money because she’s a female.
Themes of women being able to control when they give birth and controlling what money they can earn permeate her hundred years on Earth. There’s government overreach and women fighting for the right to vote and being able to love who they love. It's ridiculous that we’re still battling those same issues. It’s a different time and a different country here in America, yet only some things have gotten better. Sadly the cliche about two steps forward and one step back is still applicable.
Allende is a gifted writer and this epic story that reaches across continents and decades makes for an absorbing read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES JANUARY 25. -
I have long admired Isabel Allende’s gift for superior and epic storytelling. Violeta may just be her greatest accomplishment to date. As soon as I began reading Violeta I found that I was transported to another time and place. Once again, Isabel Allende wrote about a strong female protagonist. The female protagonist, Violeta Del Valle, possessed the qualities of independence, superior intellect and common sense, compassion, kindness, good business sense and the ability to make sound decisions. These qualities made this female protagonist, Violeta Del Valle, stand out and shine among men and women of her time. She was a woman that was independent and a woman ahead of the times she lived through. Violeta Del Valle lived to see her one hundredth birthday. In her day, women were expected to marry, keep house and have babies. That was not the life Violeta saw for herself and she would not think of settling.
Violeta Del Valle was born in the year 1920 somewhere in South America. She was the only girl child in her family. Her mother had had five sons before Violeta was born. Everyone was ecstatic to welcome a girl into their family. Violeta had a mind of her own that stemmed back to the time of her birth. She grew up spoiled, often displayed temper tantrums if she didn’t get what she wanted and received little guidance about acceptable behavior from anyone in her family. It was no wonder that her father sought to hire a tutor for Violeta to teach her etiquette and proper behavior. Miss Josephine Taylor was hired and became a strong influence on shaping Violeta’s character and determination. The two women learned so much from each other and continued to keep in touch, see each other and seek advice and counsel from each other long after Miss Taylor was Violeta’s tutor.
Violeta grew up during the Spanish Influenza and survived only to live through Covid years later. She and her family were greatly affected by the Great Depression which altered their lives in ways not one of them could have predicted. Violeta lived through World War II, the Cuban Revolution and the upheavals in the government of Chile. Violeta disclosed the saga of her life in an ongoing letter to Camilo, someone that she cared for a great deal. Violeta revealed how she abandoned her first marriage for a pilot she fell hopelessly in love with. She finally admitted and came to the realization that she was abused both physically and mentally in that relationship. Years later, that impressionable part of her life led Violeta to start a foundation to aid women that were victims of domestic violence.
Violeta lived through significant times in history. Isabel Allende magnificently wrote about the courage Violeta had to possess in order to be able to stand up to what she believed in. Her life was rich, colorful and mostly fulfilling. It did have its set backs and challenges but through it all Violeta became stronger. I believe that perhaps her main regret was not having a better relationship with her son and daughter. I did not want this book to end, it was so well written and impeccably researched. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Ballantine Books for allowing me to read the digital version of Violeta by Isabel Allende through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. -
4.5/5
Isabel Allende's latest masterpiece, Violeta, is a chronicle of a woman's life sweeping across a century of history, written in epistolary form.
"There is a time to live and a time to die .In between there's a time to remember."
In her last days, Violeta Del Valle writes a letter to her grandson Camilo divulging in great detail the story of her life, spanning almost one hundred years starting with her birth in 1920 in the midst of the Spanish flu pandemic to 2020 when the world is being ravaged by another pandemic. Having lived through and been directly affected by the Great Depression, WW2 and political upheaval in her home country and around the world, her life has been an eventful one, to say the least.
Abandoning her devoted husband to be with her lover, conceiving 2 children out of wedlock and embarking on building her own career fueled by her own ambition and refusing to conform to the strictures imposed by restrictive societal norms, Allende's Violeta is a strong and willful woman who lives life on her own terms, makes mistakes and learns from them , takes responsibility for her own fate and reinvents herself every step of the way while gathering much wisdom in the course of her long eventful life. In many ways she is a woman who is way ahead of her time. Her story is one of family and friendship ,her many loves, loss and setbacks, courage and ambition. More importantly,in Violeta, the author portrays a woman with the indomitable will to survive , grow and prosper in the backdrop of volatile political climate , changing societal landscape and personal tragedy and upheaval.
Isabel Allende's prose is elegant and a joy to read. Among the strong female influences in Violeta's life, the characters of Aunt Pilar, Facunda, Teresa Rivas and her family and Miss Taylor are superbly crafted. Strong characters and masterful storytelling are typical of Isabel Allende's novels and in Violeta she does not disappoint.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
Violeta by Isabel Allende is my first book by Isabel Allende. I was pulled in from the start of Violeta’s birth in 1920 during the Spanish flu. All the way to the end 2020. It is an emotionally charged book with much sadness throughout. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
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My annual midwinter break read of an Allende book. With my busy life I will give the author and book justice later but as usual Allende brings me a warm heart and both a smile and tears to my face. Having read her for most of my life Violeta is yet another intimate cup of tea with an old friend.
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“Violeta del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.”
📝
read my review here
thank you to bloomsbury publishing and jonathan ball publishers for the gifted review copy
release date: 25 January 2022 -
It feels like I´ve read all this before. I know Chile´s history well, and Allende includes practically everything, with no depth to anything.It's as if she needed to mention every major event;it feels forced.And then there's the stereotypes. It's also detached, as other reviewers have pointed out, and at some point, it becomes predictable.
Having loved The House of the Spirits, and a couple more by her,this is a letdown. -
Violeta, who was born during the Spanish influenza pandemic and turns one hundred years old during the coronavirus pandemic, writes a memoir to hand down to her grandson Camilo.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Isabel Allende, and in fact have several others of her books on hand, piled in the tottering tower that is my TBR list. However, this is the first book by her that I’ve read, and it did not reach the heights I was expecting.
Not that this is by any means a bad book. The writing is so excellent that I slipped through the novel almost without realizing it, coming up for air at the end like after a swim in an extremely placid lake. I found the storyline interesting, following as it does the ups and downs of such a long life through such varied circumstances – Violeta lives in poverty and wealth, has romantic attachments with a variety of personalities, has complicated relationships with both her children, and ultimately turns to activism in her old age. She makes both wise and reckless decisions throughout, and is brave enough to own up to them.
However, I felt like the novel was oddly lacking in emotional impact. There’s a lot of bad things that happen to Violeta, but they felt almost glossed over at times. This may be because Violeta at the time of the writing is so far removed from those previous events of her life, but I felt that this does the reader a disservice. The only time where I felt emotion really break through was with Nieves, her daughter.
I also had trouble getting close to many of the characters. Those written about earlier in the story, such as Miss Taylor and Júlian, are more vivid than those who enter the tale later on. Violeta herself is hard to peg, despite being the narrator and main character – perhaps it is because she stands in the reader’s blind spot, as the purported author of the memoir, but I did wish we got to know her better.
Overall, a decent read, but I expect not one of Allende’s best.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review. -
Ya no distingo claramente entre el día y la noche, y da lo mismo, porque el dolor y la memoria no se miden en los relojes.
En Violeta (2022), Isabel Allende (1942) demuestra, como no podía ser de otra manera en una gran señora de las letras, que sabe contar historias con un estilo claro y fluido, de una sencillez abrumadora. Sin atisbo de pedantería, digresiones superfluas o grandes disertaciones nos cuenta las vicisitudes de la vida de una mujer que logra llegar a los cien años: desde su nacimiento en la plaga de la gripe española en 1920, hasta la reciente pandemia del coronavirus en 2020. Una vida zarandeada por los avatares sociales y políticos de un convulso siglo XX, bélico y letal en su primera mitad, lleno de luchas ideológicas y de poder, causadas por la guerra fría, en su segunda.
Allende conjuga aquí, como ya hizo en su primera novela La casa de los espíritus (1982), acontecimientos históricos, luchas por los derechos civiles y políticos y una historia personal: la vida de esa mujer centenaria, sus sentimientos, sus relaciones amorosas y familiares, sus errores y sus aciertos, en definitiva, su evolución afectiva e ideológica. En mi opinión, esta última parte predomina sobre la primera que finalmente queda relegada a simple marco temporal. Violeta no es una crónica novelada del siglo XX, es un homenaje a la lucha de una mujer por poder vivir su propia vida, por lograr alcanzar su independencia.
Quizá le falta algo más de actitud crítica ante la cantidad de barbaridades que describe (entre ellas guerras, crisis económicos o cruentas dictaduras) y quizá también unos personajes menos entrañables (aunque la narración en primera persona epistolar sin duda ayuda a empatizar con la protagonista y con aquellos que describe). De todos modos, parece quedar claro que Allende no busca polemizar. Al final, Violeta termina siendo un canto a la vida en todas sus facetas, a la pureza de los afectos, a la solidaridad, a la simplicidad de las cosas, a la aceptación del paso del tiempo: nunca es demasiado tarde para ser feliz.
Violeta es una narración fresca y ligera, una historia viva que no decae en ningún momento, que me ha entretenido, que muchas veces me ha emocionado y que alguna otra me ha hecho sonreír. Sucesos conmovedores, personajes atrayentes y descripciones comprensibles: suficiente para que todos aquellos que busquen una novela sin demasiadas complicaciones la puedan disfrutar.
