NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of The House of the Spirits, this epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home.“One of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date, and one of the strongest and most affecting works in [Isabel Allende’s] long … works in [Isabel Allende’s] long career.”—The New York Times Book Review
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Esquire • Good Housekeeping • Parade
In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee in a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them desires.
Together with two thousand other refugees, Roser and Victor embark for Chile on the SS Winnipeg, a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda: “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” As unlikely partners, the couple embraces exile as the rest of Europe erupts in world war. Starting over on a new continent, they face trial after trial, but they will also find joy as they patiently await the day when they might go home. Through it all, their hope of returning to Spain keeps them going. Destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world, Roser and Victor will find that home might have been closer than they thought all along.
A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile, and belonging, A Long Petal of the Sea shows Isabel Allende at the height of her powers.
Praise for A Long Petal of the Sea
“Both an intimate look at the relationship between one man and one woman and an epic story of love, war, family, and the search for home, this gorgeous novel, like all the best novels, transports the reader to another time and place, and also sheds light on the way we live now.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, author of Saints for All Occasions
“This is a novel not just for those of us who have been Allende fans for decades, but also for those who are brand-new to her work: What a joy it must be to come upon Allende for the first time. She knows that all stories are love stories, and the greatest love stories are told by time.”—Colum McCann, National Book Award–winning author of Let the Great World Spin
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Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors, and this book will demonstrate why. Her family sagas are so rich and beautifully written.
One of Allende’s best. Wonderful characters. They survived two dictators, so we could survive Trump.
confusing
Very well written and informative.
I love the history in this book. Allende does a wonderful job keeping the reader interested while telling a love story set against the turbulent historical background Occasionally she waxes a bit melodramatic and even cliche but the beauty of the book makes the small diversions worth it. Lovely reading experience.
So moving, it’s a must-read in your life. It follows the life of Rose and Victor Dalmau but throw the pages you learn the history of Spain and Chile during 1900. Amazing, to read in a night
An amazing story. A Masterwork of Historical fiction that gripped my wife and I from beginning to end.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book – a great piece of historical fiction that spans the civil war/revolution in Spain, all the way to Chile and what happened there. I’ve always enjoyed Isabel Allende’s writing and this surely did not disappoint!
I love her writing, but this is not my favorite of her books. Too much politics and history. I wanted more from the characters and story. But her books are ALWAYS worth the read, some just appeal to me more than others.
I found this novel only mildly interesting, to be honest. Unfortunately, the main character wasn’t likable enough for me to want to travel through his whole life with him. (I felt like Allende was trying to emulate “Love in the Time of Cholera” or maybe “A Gentleman in Moscow,” but those writers did it much better, in my opinion.)
Instead of being proactive, I felt the character was too reactive. And, at times, the prose felt like a laundry list: “This happened. And then this happened…” If you’re looking for a book about twentieth-century Chilean politics, this one is for you. If not, I’d skip it.
This is an epic tale of Victor and Roser’s plight as the leave the home they love.
It is the story of the Spanish Civil War based on the true story of Victor Pey.
Victor Dalmau is a Army doctor, Roser Bruguera is pregnant with Victor’s deceased brothers child. After Franco over throws the government. Victor decides to leave Spain immediately. They partake a dangerous journey over the mountains to the French border. Victor discovers that they can take a ship to Chili charted by Pablo Neruda, the poet, but he must marry Roser to accomplish this.
Together with two thousand refugees they embark on the S.S. Winnipeg.
Roser and Victor face many challenges along the way as they immigrate to a new country. Through all of this they hope to one day to return to Spain.
This is a beautifully written work of historical fiction, with wonderful character development. You can feel the pain and suffering Victor and Roser endured.
Each chapter begins with a quote from Pablo Neruda the famous poet.
You will see in time how Victor and Roser’s relationship changes.
It is a wonderful read.
This gripping tale of how a family survives the Spanish Civil War and emigrates to Chile, only to face similar challenges there, is simultaneously heartbreaking and inspiring and held me to the last page.
Anyone remember The House of the Spirits? That was my first Isabel Allende book, and I became an instant fan. I can’t say I’ve read everything she’s written since, but I do remember adoring The Japanese Lover as well.
A Long Petal of the Sea is Ms. Allende’s latest book, and it’s different. To say that it’s a novel is only part right. To say that it is historical fiction, with the emphasis on the history part, is more accurate. Indeed, Ms. Allende’s knowledge of history, from that of the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) in the early pages of this book to that of Chile through the ensuing decades, is remarkable. But then, as the second cousin to Salvador Allende, who was the president of Chile from 1970-1973, she had a front-row view of Chilean events.
The story centers around two young people, Roser and Victor, who, after being forced to flee Spain, find themselves on a boat bound for Chile. Roser is pregnant with the child of Victor’s brother, who has died in the war. To protect the baby and each other, the two marry. The author’s story of this marriage of convenience, as it grows and morphs and deepens, is interwoven with historical events through which the two live.
Content-wise, Ms. Allende is brilliant in her description of war, of locations, of political figures and the trying years of Chile’s evolution from dictatorship to democracy. That said, there were many times when I felt the prose was stilted and wondered if something had been lost in translation. I missed the magical realism that is in her earlier books. I also missed the musicality of her prose. Was this too a problem in translation? Perhaps.
Whatever, if you love history and love reading about people mired in it, this is a good book to buy.
Great book, I love all of isabel Allende’s books
I had hoped for so much more.
Historical fiction is my favorite kind of book. I learned so much from this one,
As usual, Allende has created a masterful story about Chile’s political chaos. We are informed first about the Spanish Civil War & it’s horrors. The characters are Well developed.
Fun to read, interesting history of Spain and Chili
Smazong
Haven’t finished the novel yet, but I can barely put it down. Isabel Allende is one of my favorite authors, and she doesn’t disappoint in this novel which is filled with elegant, poetic prose and characters. The sweep of events from 1939 to 1973 and beyond gives us a glimpse of wars and tragedies many of us have only heard of in passing. With “A Long Petal of the Sea” I was given a glimpse of a hitherto unknown world that informs yesterday and today’s events.