At first, this almost stripped down way of writing took me by surprise. We turn each page to see what each character does next, and the journey that he/she takes against this tumultuous backdrop. Instead, focus is given to the characters – while the historical events are detailed and understood, the book is very much character-driven. The novel is complex and heavy in its subject, so Allende’s prose is simple yet impactful, freeing the reader from the weight of description that may have otherwise jeopardised the narrative.
Rather, Allende showers her pages with love, compassion, and shows the reader that kindness and hope reach far beyond the perceived hatred of the times. Despite being set against the chaotic backdrop of work, the book is far from bleak. 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.Ī 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.A rich and compelling novel, A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende is an ambitious and outstanding feat of literature, spanning multiple families, generations, and continents, taking the reader on a journey through key moments of recent history. Through it all, their hope of returning to Spain keeps them going. 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. 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. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them desires.
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. 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. In the late 1930s, civil war grips Spain. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Esquire - Good Housekeeping - Parade "One of the most richly imagined portrayals of the Spanish Civil War to date, and one of the strongest and most affecting works in long career."- The New York Times Book Review
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.
0 kommentar(er)
