I expect excellence from Isabel Allende and was not disappointed. A Long Petal of the Sea didn't have the typical romantic narrative I'm used to, nor should it have. The description of the frontline of the war and the horrors and hardships experienced by the military as well as the civilians was so difficult to read because it was so realistic and detailed. The plot concerns Victor Dalmau, an army medic, and his brother and parents. Guillem, his brother, comes home with typhus. His mother and their boarder, Roser, care for him and as expected Guillem and Roser fall in love and Roser becomes pregnant. Guillem is sent back to the front and killed in action. The war increases in intensity and Roser and Mrs. Dalmau are forced to flee across the Pyrenees to France. Only Roser survives the trip and meets up with Victor who is forced to marry her to be able to evacuate to Chile on a harrowing voyage by sea.

This was an amazing book but not a very comfortable read. Allende's descriptions were very thorough which was a little more than I could stomach. Fans of realistic historical fiction will enjoy this, but don't expect a tidy romance.

Allende chose a fascinating time period to explore in this historical fiction. It was the perfect novel for curling up and getting lost in the story.

Wait-don't skip by this because you've heard Allende novels are filled with magical realism. This one isn't, which might disappoint those who love her for that, but which makes it a good introduction for others to Allende's world and to the sometimes tortuous history of Chile. Victor and Roser are thrown together when her husband and his brother is killed during the civil war in Spain. They are lucky to be able to emigrate to Chile and build a life there, which is, sadly, disrupted once again by the 1973 coup. Their marriage of convenience eventually blossoms into something more as they both find their places, he as a physician and she as a musician. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. There's a lot of history in these pages, which at times is more interesting than the characters but it's a worthy and interesting read.

“Claiming they wanted to restore order to a situation they said was chaotic (even though this was far from the truth), the right wing immediately began plotting with the armed forces to overthrow the legitimate government made up of liberals, socialists, communists, and trade unionists, backed by the enthusiastic support of workers, peasants, and the majority of students and intellectuals...In July 1936, the armed forces rose against the democratic government; the uprising was soon led by General Francisco Franco...”

-- excerpt from A Long Petal of the Sea

By early 1939, during an unusually cold winter, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children are fleeing from General Franco’s pursuing army in the wake of the Spanish Civil War. Among the refugees are Victor Dalmau and Roser Bruguera, a young woman who is pregnant with the child of Victor’s recently deceased brother. They manage to survive a difficult journey across the mountains into France, but public sentiment there is already pitched against the incoming caravan of Spanish asylum-seekers, and they are immediately corralled into an internment camp, where they endure horrific living conditions. (Side note: despite this decidedly unfriendly welcome, when Hitler’s forces invade France the following year, 10,000 Spanish refugees gamely join the French Resistance.)

On the other side of the world, Nobel prize-winning poet, Pablo Neruda, arranges for a ship to bring 2,200 refugees to Chile. To gain passage on that ship, Victor and Roser must hurriedly marry. They tell themselves they will divorce later and go their separate ways - but of course, things do not work out this way. What follows is a deeply engaging story of two people who grow to know and love each other in different ways over the years, and who, ironically, will come to live through a fascist coup in their adopted country, just as they did in the country of their birth.

The title of the book comes from Neruda’s description of Chile as, “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” Allende says she drew from stories passed down from her own family. Her writing is in top form; I would rate it even higher than her most famous work, The House of the Spirits. This is a story to be savored slowly. It’s only January, but I’m willing to bet this will be the best book I read all year. FIVE STARS.


Full disclosure: I received a free advance review copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've read almost all of Isabel Allende's novels and was excited to see this one offered to me on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A Long Petal of the Sea is the story of Victor Dalmau who is a medic during the Spanish Civil War. He arranges for his mother and the pregnant girlfriend of his brother to flee Spain and head for France where they end up in an internment camp for refugees. Victor and Roser reunite and marry in order to obtain passage to Chile. The couple lives as refugees throughout World War II and finds success in Chile during a time of turmoil. I learned a lot about the history of Chile and its changes in government over the years.

I really struggled with this book and was shocked as I really enjoy Allende's work. [book:Ines of My Soul|16562] being my favorite of her books. I enjoyed the beginning, Roser comes from nothing and is adopted by a wealthy man and she has a gift for the piano. She falls in love with a young soldier who dies before their son is born. His brother Victor marries her to give the boy a father and to help her get to Chile with him. You see, people are fleeing Spain and Roser and Victor can get on a boat sailing to Chile. He is a doctor and she is a musician. They can contribute to their new country and make a life for themselves there.

Their book follows their life together, how they grow individually and together. How they share a deep bond and how they survive through their travels.

There are many themes here and this book is based on historical facts, but it just failed to grab me. It is slow moving and that is part of the issue. It is a slow burn and normally I don't mind that but, in this case, it didn't work for me. I don't know if it was my mood at the time or my inability to connect with her story telling. This is one of those books that I can say, I enjoyed but it won’t stay with me for long. Again, this took me by surprise as I normally have thoroughly enjoyed all her books. I encourage readers to read all reviews are decide for yourselves.


Thank you to Random House Publishing House Publishing Group - 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.

In the late 1930s, as civil war grips Spain, Roser and Victor are forced to flee the country. Roser is a pregnant young widow and sister-in-law to Victor Dalmau, an army doctor. They marry to ensure safety for themselves and the unborn baby, but agree it is a marriage in name only. The two board the SS Winnipeg to Chile: “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” There they not only build a new life, but they discover that years of friendship can blossom into something deeper.
I have mixed feelings about this book. There were parts that I truly enjoyed and parts (mainly the parts about the war) that made my eyes glaze over from all of the details. I hadn't read anything about the Spanish Civil War before so I was completely unfamiliar with this section of history. It was very well researched and seemed to cover it thoroughly.

Of course anything by Isabel Allende is a treat to read just for her beautiful writing and so I was excited to receive an advance copy from Netgalley. . I enjoyed the historical aspect and the eventual development of Roser and Victor within it. But it took me a long time to care about the characters. I felt like the history could have been better integrated and more dialogue would have been helpful for character development. There is a twist at the end that wasn’t a complete surprise and rather than filling in the pieces at the end would have helped the story flow better if it was integrated chronologically. The story of the Winnipeg was fascinating and so relevant to the value of welcoming our neighbors in the world who are forced to be on the move. And learning about the history of the Spanish Civil war, Chile, and Venezuela through the eyes of Victor was interesting. The beginning and the end were compelling and well written but the middle felt disjointed and I found myself not picking it up for days . 3.5 stars

I struggled to get into this book. I am usually a big fan of Isabel Allende however this novel didn't grab me within the first few pages. I will still recommend this to her other fans because they may enjoy it.

This book follows two families who are living two very different lives, but who manage to have their lives intertwined with one another throughout time.
The families both survive the Spanish Civil War, as well as military coups, and one family in particular deals with the having family fighting in the wars and also some are exiled due to their beliefs. In the end they end up in Chile, even though they are part of two different social classes. Throughout the story we watch as some of the people pass on, and some people continue to show back up, which sometimes can complicate things.
The main characters are Victor, Roser and Marcel; husband, wife and son, respectively. Also, we have in the other family, Ofelia, Felipe, and Laura; daughter, son, and mother, respectively. There are many other characters that intertwine in their lives throughout the story, however they are the main characters.
This book makes you think about what is most important in life, and that's love and kindness. Ultimately that matters more than anything else. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who enjoys historical fiction, because this book is based a lot on the author's actual experiences.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I came across this author about 10 years ago when my husband gave me a paperback of Daughters of Fortune for Christmas. I loved it and have since then looked for more by Isabel Allende. She is a talented storyteller with deeply detailed, emotional stories and interesting characters told in different historical times and regions. Her newest title, A Long Petal of the Sea lived up to everything I expected and hoped for. I learned a lot about Spain's civil war and Chile's acceptance of many Spanish refugees sponsored by the poet Pablo Neruda. Fascinating events from history that came alive to me through Allende's deep and touching characters. I loved the relationship between Victor and Roser, which started very unconventionally but grew into a strong, long-lasting love through years of supporting each other during struggles. loss, and rebuilding.

Love any book from Isabel Allende!! She is s great storyteller! All her books capture your attention. This book was no different! Can not wait for her next book!!!

So right from the start, I could tell that this wasn't the book for me. I made it about 1/3rd of the way through before I gave up. That being said, the narration and writing style is beautiful. The story just didn't pique my interest. Allende has a way with words, absolutely and I would definitely try to read something on hers again This time around, however, it didn't work out.

2/5 Stars

Spanning almost 7 decades, this family saga is replete with details that paint a picture at once historical and personal. In this engaging and heart wrenching tale, Allende has woven a story that combines the true crossing of the Winnipeg, a ship chartered by Nobel-prize winning Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, with the fictionalized history of a fractured family fleeing the fascist regime of Franco in Spain. Allende's accounting of the actual events of the Spanish Civil War and the eventual coming-to-power of the Pinochet government are the more horrific due to the empathy one feels for the compelling characters of her creation. Intensely personal and sweepingly universal, this is a story of fortitude and resilience.

Chile is the country described by the book's title, A Long Petal of the Sea. Roser and Victor traveled across several continents to escape Franco's Civil War. Victor was a young man with an interest in medicine, and Roser was Victor's sister-in-law. As things became utterly impossible in Spain, Roser and Victor began traveling, first to France where they lived in a refugee camp and then with Pablo Neruda's help, onto The Winnipeg, a ship whose refugees would be accepted by Chile.

The story is long and full of the small details we rarely know about when a person loses everything and almost starves to death. I stayed with this rather long this novel. I had to uncover all the mysteries of Roser and Victor and their friends and family. I needed to know how generations of refugees survive a horrific tragedy. Would they ever find peace and happiness? This novel left me with hope even when today, similar appalling conditions are being endured all over the world.

IA has written a loving war story, a hopeful love story, and a real bit of history. Thank you to the author, Random House, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautiful saga (Jan 21).

In the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, a pregnant widow and her husband’s brother are left grieving all that they've lost, and fearing all that is to come in World War II. After climbing through mountains into France and being placed in concentration camps, the two are offered a new life in Chile thanks to a ship chartered by poet Pablo Neruda. Throughout the rest of their lives, they try to escape the ghosts of their past and find somewhere that feels like home.

This is a stunning tale, masterfully told by the incomparable Isabel Allende, with layers of history both political and personal. Roser and Victor have such spirit and resilience, and their journey together is incredibly touching. There's also so much to learn in this book about Spanish and Chilean history, and a truly moving depiction of the immigrant experience. Allende's prose is spellbinding, and this story of love, loss, and rebuilding is unforgettable.

I was very intrigued by this book and am glad I got a chance to read it, but I couldn't quite connect to the story or the characters. I think it's the style of Allende's writing, which sometimes works for me and sometimes just doesn't. I think some readers will adore this book, but for me it was just ok.

I’ve enjoyed some of Isabel Allende’s previous novels and her most recent was certainly no exception. Allende is such a gifted storyteller. Even better is the fact that this novel is based on historical events.

I must admit, I know very little about Spanish history, especially the Spanish Civil War that occurred during the late 1930’s. I was surprised to read that Spanish citizens had to flee the country for safety.

Two of these citizens who fled were Roser and Victor. Roser, who was pregnant with Victor’s brother’s child, fled with help from Victor and one of his friends. She stays for a time in France and soon she and Victor are re-united. After learning that Victor’s brother has died, the two make a decision to marry in order for them to be able to emigrate to Chile.

Unfortunately for the couple, in later years they will face more strife in Chile due to political upheaval. On a more positive note, what began as a marriage of convenience, ends up being the love of a lifetime for Victor and Roser. I found this to be a very engrossing story, although there was a bit more politics than I was expecting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for allowing to read an advance copy and give an honest review

The life story of Victor and Roser reflects the history of the Spanish Civil War, emigration of Spanish refugees to Chile, and the fraught political history of that country.

I enjoy Isabel Allende’s non magical writing, and this saga is no exception. The atrocities man inflicts upon man are told in a matter of fact manner, but this does not take away from their horrors. Each chapter begins with a quote from poet Pablo Neruda, an important actor in the history and culture of Chile whose life is interwoven into this narrative.

Written in third person gives the reader the feeling of being an observer not only of the lives of Victor and Roser, but also monumental historical events. Some of those events gives one pause in reflecting on our current political climate as well.

Simply a better writer than most! We all heard the names, Salvador Allende, Pablo Neruda - but what really happened in Chile in the early 70s? Excellent novel based on historical facts.