Meet New York Times bestselling author Isabel Allende’s most enchanting creation, Eva Luna: a lover, a writer, a revolutionary, and above all a storyteller–available for the first time in ebook. Eva Luna is the daughter of a professor’s assistant and a snake-bitten gardener–born poor, orphaned at an early age, and working as a servant. Eva is a naturally gifted and imaginative storyteller who … imaginative storyteller who meets people from all stations and walks of life. Though she has no wealth, she trades her stories like currency with people who are kind to her. In this novel, she shares the story of her own life and introduces readers to a diverse and eccentric cast of characters including the Lebanese emigre who befriends her and takes her in; her unfortunate godmother, whose brain is addled by rum and who believes in all the Catholic saints and a few of her own invention; a street urchin who grows into a petty criminal and, later, a leader in the guerrilla struggle; a celebrated transsexual entertainer who instructs her in the ways of the adult world; and a young refugee whose flight from postwar Europe will prove crucial to Eva’s fate.
As Eva tells her story, Isabel Allende conjures up a whole complex South American nation–the rich, the poor, the simple, and the sophisticated–in a novel replete with character and incident, with drama and comedy and history, with battles and passions, rebellions and reunions, a novel that celebrates the power of imagination to create a better world.more
Earlier this year, my friend Nina and I were discussing internationally written literature, specifically from Latin America. We both had a connection to it for a few reasons, which prompted her to suggest a buddy read. We settled on Isabel Allende, and she selected Eva Luna. We spent the last week reading the book and discussing some of the key points and will continue to do so, I’m sure. For now, I’m sharing some of the highlights of my thoughts.
Let’s set the stage. Early to mid 20th century. Somewhere in South America (Nina and I saw a few options) but ultimately settled on it purposely being generalist in some areas given there were different cultures involved. Eva’s mother lived a tragic life. Let’s not even discuss her father. Once we learn about the past, we’re ready for Eva Luna, a storyteller who doesn’t know she is one until much later on, despite what everyone once told her. She lives in a string of homes, all difficult places. Yet in each, she finds someone to lean on, and develops a life-long relationship with them.. that is, until they are cruelly killed or die of natural causes. Eva has lived a life full of loss. But there are some beautiful moments too, it’s not all sad!
The story chronicles Eva’s life and relationships. Going into the book, I had little understanding of the detailed theme. If there was one thing I found a bit disappointing, it was the lack of a formal structure in how we learn about Eva’s life. It’s chronological, but we’re not quite sure of her age or role at the time. It’s not purposely unclear, just not as important as what’s happening to her. I generally prefer a deeper structure, perhaps a timeline or chapter description to showcase what part of her life we are about to explore. Then again, life is messy and often repeats itself, so this was very realistic in other ways. Nonetheless, I’m an orderly guy, so I would’ve loved just a bit more to make that part of the book come together. Nina had a great theory on this, so go read her review to find out more.
The imagery and language are astounding. It was compelling and beautiful, sad and disheartening… but through it all, stunning! I found the way in which Allende shows us how Eva is haunted and impacted by everything around her to be the star of this book. You clearly see and feel everything, yet you know the true horrors are purposefully left out. Eva suffers. We suffer for her. But it’s rarely graphic or detailed to the point you can’t read it. You know what’s going on, and that’s enough. Some of the pain occurs when she is a young girl and a teenager. It’s insane to accept what once happened to children, specifically female ones. Let’s not even discuss the current situation!
Another part of the book I found most forward-thinking was the character of Mimi, my favorite. At some points a man, at others a woman, perhaps shades in between, what Allende discusses ~30 years ago when this was written is fully apropos for today, and it appears so much more for ~75 years ago when some of this took place in the book. I’m truly shocked at the way people react to others. If the person isn’t hurting you/someone else/animals, let them do what they want. There are far better things to focus on that something that doesn’t truly involve the jerk with the issue! Walk away. Off soapbox as this isn’t that kind of novel. It’s more about an overall theme of what happened in many similar countries to people who didn’t have a lot of money or advancement opportunities.
I will definitely read more Allende, perhaps the short stories by Eva Luna herself (thanks, Nina). Overall, I give this 4.5 stars but I rounded down because of the missing pieces I felt would’ve made this an absolute stand-out. I still highly recommend it, and this translation in particular was phenomenal. I learned a few new vocabulary words, and when it results from a translation, and the original language was stunning, you know it’s a solid book. Thanks for making this a fun read together, Nina.
EVA LUNA: A NOVEL is a wild and inventive ride that lures the reader, much like a moth to a flame. Exotic and enticing, the vivid storyteller—Eva Luna—conquers the harsh realities of life for herself and others through the creative power of her imagination.
Great book by the fantastic writer Isabel Allende
“Words are free, she used to say, and she appropriated them; they were all hers.”
That sentence from early in the novel, Eva Luna, by Isabel Allende captures the spirit of her protagonist. Eva Luna is a spinner of tales and the stories from growing up poor on the streets of an unnamed South American country (Peru comes to mind for me) to falling in love with men like Riad Halabi, the Turkish-born merchant with a heart of gold, to Humberto Naranjo, the streetwise kid who becomes a leader in the guerilla movement, and to Rolf Carle, a German immigrant photographer that captures the attempted revolution going on in the country, Eva gains plenty of material for her stories.
Allende creates a colorful life for Eva Luna, and I get the sense that she wrote this novel like she was in a passionate love affair. The words flow easily and the story did not feel excessive or bloated. It would be easy to dismiss a novel like this as an ode to the soap opera or telenovela. However, Eva Luna shows through stories about how people connect and is a universal language for humanity. Stories are the lifeblood for human experience and are just as important as food, water, and shelter.
It is always a pleasant sign that when you re-read a novel; you get the same emotional cues from the all places in the story where you are supposed too. You smile, laugh, gasp, and want the protagonist to get beyond the latest conflict in the story to a proper resolution.
Eva Luna was the first Isabel Allende I had ever read and still has remained my favorite. I have read The House of The Spirits and Of Love & Shadows. Allende has been definitely influenced by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but I have always thought her storytelling style was much more accessible than his. If you have never read an Allende novel, then I recommend Eva Luna as a marvelous place to start. This will be one of my favorite reads of 2020.
Magical