I enjoyed this historical story that takes place during the 1920s. It is a story about a woman who has passion, determination, inspirational who adds humor to her life. This is a well written story that is fast paced and hard to put down. Violeta is a great character and great inspiration for all women alike. She is connectable and made the story for me. I enjoyed the author's writing style as well as her attention to details that made her characters come to life on the pages. The growth of the characters is great throughout the story and made the story entertaining to read. This is an easy story to read and you don't want to miss out on this one. I really enjoyed the emotional roller coaster ride I was taken on. This is a great pick up and I highly recommend it.

unfortunately, i couldn't get into this novel at all, so this one is a dnf. i've tried multiple times to get through it, but the writing is simply too much for my taste. i am not a fan of overly detail writing and this book is leaning a lot towards being almost purple-prose-y.

thank you to netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest opinion!

Allende writes a lyrical story of one woman’s life, as a letter to her descendent. I liked the letter format, which is continual. It spans a century of Violeta’s life. She was a woman of tremendous passion, who lived life on her own terms, but was succumbed to tradition. My eyes glided over the words effortlessly as the decades passed in her life. It’s a love letter to history and fate.

Violeta comes into the world on a tempestuous night in 1920, at the height of a worldwide catastrophe all too familiar: the Spanish flu epidemic. She is the youngest of six children and a source of surprise to her mother; After five sons, she is certain this child will be another boy. The Del Valle family lives a comfortable life as members of upper-class Argentinian society. The oldest son, Juan Antonio, a lawyer by training, works closely with his father.

Until the age of five, Violeta is an overly pampered child; she is the only daughter and does not need to do anything (even feed herself) and, as such, learns to expect that everything must go her way. Finally, her doting father has had enough: he punishes the wayward little girl and arranges for an English governess to civilize Violeta. That is how Miss Taylor comes into her life and becomes like a member of the family. The young girl, under her tutelage, progresses from an entitled youngster to a self-sufficient girl whose presence is a source of pleasure rather than vexation.

However, the Del Valle fortune undergoes a drastic change until the family is left penniless. This unfortunate turn of events is followed by the passing of Violeta’s father. An acquaintance comes to the rescue: her parents live in a faraway village where the Del Valles can make a new start. So, the once wealthy family embarks on the long journey to the south of the country. It is here that Violeta blossoms into a caring young woman whose great pleasure is travelling with Abel and Lucinda Rivas, a husband-and-wife team who teach classes to the children of farmers, with the goal of their students' receiving an elementary school diploma.

Bestselling author Isabel Allende tells Violeta’s story in her own voice through correspondence with a young relative. The epistolary style of the novel lends a sense of immediacy and allows the now-elderly heroine to interject her thoughts, feelings, and opinions into the narrative. Violeta relates the events of her life against the backdrop of history: from the devastating influenza pandemic to social upheavals to the changes of society’s norms to technological developments. The author does not shy away from describing taboo subjects, with which some readers may be uncomfortable. Yet, the author’s skill paints a vivid portrait of the changes that sweep Argentina—and the world—from the early years of the twentieth century to the first decades of the twenty-first..

VIOLETA is a perfect example of the type of literature that grips you and never lets go. Isabel Allende's writing is impeccable. Violeta's life rises off the page with every story she tells. This is a book that I will definitely be reading at least once a year.

A full review will be posted on my blog Ghost Kitty Manor on January 18th in preparation for the official release on January 25th.

Special thanks to Random House Publishing, Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you're looking for a book by Isabel Allende, I'd start with The Long Petal of the Sea. I enjoyed that one more. I liked this book, I didn't love it. I think history buffs might like it a tad more than I did because I did learn things from Violeta's 100 year life from the 1920's on.

I gave this book 3.5 stars because it was a little slow for me, but I love to learn, so I felt like I should give it a 4 for the education, and 3 for the book overall. I also feel like I did not get a good sense of her personality and more of a letter told of things that happened over 100 years. It 's not my favorite kind of book. I can't put my finger on it, but I wasn't crazy about this one!

Would I recommend? Yes, if you like history.

Love, love, love!!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this ARC. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

I am sorry I just could not get into this book. Thank you for giving me the opportunity, though. There really isn't much more to say about this book, I just couldn't get into reading it.

Allende has crafted many unique heroines of passionate, resilient spirit in her internationally best-selling historical novels, and Violeta Del Valle is no exception. Born during the Spanish flu outbreak in an unnamed South American country (clearly based on Chile) in 1920, Violeta addresses her memoir to a beloved relative, Camilo, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. She spins a captivating, cinematic tale of her century-long existence, intertwining large-scale political and social transformations with reflections on her life. The spoiled daughter in a family with five older sons, Violeta watches the Del Valles’ finances tumble into ruin during the Depression. After losing their illustrious home, her family finds refuge in a remote southern farming town with many Indigenous residents and German and French immigrants. This supposed exile becomes an enriching experience for Violeta. Her love life is complex, tumultuous, and unpredictable for readers, who will eagerly follow her narrative, which Violeta recounts in a style that’s remarkably forthright about her own and others’ personal failings. The characterizations are intriguingly layered, and as people’s lives are buffeted by dramatic changes, including a military coup that destroys her country’s democracy, Violeta comes into her own strength. Allende has long been renowned as an enchanting storyteller, and this emotionally perceptive epic ranks among her best.

(Reviewed for Booklist, 12/15/21)

*Thank you Ballantine Books for the e-ARC*

Oh my god. This book was so good. I laughed, I cried, I got angry. The writing in this book was so spectacular and I could envision myself in this story. Violeta is one of those characters you will find yourself loving completely. I’m not usually in to historical fiction but this story had me hooked. I was crying by the last page.

In the past I have enjoyed all of Isabel Allende's novels but this one fell flat for me. The beginning was promising, with interesting characters and a slice of history but the second half of the book felt rushed and underdeveloped. In addition, I'm still left wondering what country it took place in.

This is a well-written family saga by one of my favorite authors. We watch Violeta as she becomes estranged from some of her family, finds new, supportive caretakers, marries, divorces, remarries an overconfident, violent man, has two children, succeeds in the business world, follows a troubled daughter to America, raises a political son, opens her eyes to the political inequality and havoc in her South American country, begins to respect herself and grow up, and finally, finds the love of her life and a deep purpose for living. We learn all this in a long letter she is writing to a favorite grandchild. The characters are well drawn, especially Violeta, and we do a lot of living along with her. Here is a woman who ages like fine wine, saving some of her finest fragrances for late in life. Allende's new work is an engrossing, memorable read.

Where to begin, this was an amazing book where she begins her life in 1920 during the Spanish Influenza and ends her life during Corona Virus in 2020. There was a lot of variety to this book: passion, politics, natural disasters, corruption, genocide, and faith. She paints an elegant tapestry that makes you believe you are there with her during her lifetime. It was a book that you didn't just read, you savored it. I cannot give Violeta enough praise! This book is a great gift!

The novel enraptures one women's view of her life of 100 years during the last century, Isabelle Allende is a wonderful writer and I enjoyed this novel. the book. An epic novel that has gorgeous prose, Enjoyed reading this

Violeta by Isabel Allende is a woman who is, as she calls it, the winter of her life. Before she dies, she is determined to write an account of her life for someone that she loves deeply. This book tells the story of her incredible 100-year life. This is a book that should be read slowly. It is very reminiscent of listening to my grandmother tell me stories from her life.
If I had one complaint it would be that I never really felt at though I got to know Violeta very well. I feel that I have intimate knowledge of the various people in her life, but not so much her. That being said, the person to whom she is telling her story knows her intimately and she is telling him about others who have been important to her so it makes sense that she wouldn’t exactly be the focus here. If I had an accounting of my grandmother’s life it would probably read the same way. Overall, a very enjoyable experience. Four stars.

In Isabel Allende’s latest novel, Violeta, its title character Violeta Del Valle recounts pivotal moments in her life throughout the 20th century through letters to her grandson in her final days.

Violeta was born the youngest of 6, preceded by 5 brothers, during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1920 in South America. She is the daughter of an ambitious and slightly greedy businessman who eventually loses the family’s fortune during the Great Depression. The Del Valle’s are eventually forced to give up their extravagant and comfortable city life and seek refuge on a rural farm in their unnamed South American country.

Violeta’s life happens in the midst of social and political upheaval throughout the twentieth century. She tells her story to her grandson, Camilo, whom she raised after the death of her daughter, Nieves, during childbirth.

Though the family’s rural setting kept them mostly isolated from the direct effects of the fight against fascism in Europe during World War II, Allende uses her extensive historical research to embed the after effects of the war into Violeta’s story. For instance, in her rural South American community there is a German expatriate community wherein a German family runs a successful bed and breakfast called Hotel Bavaria adjacent to an indigenous community. Violeta enters into a failed marriage with a member of this expatriate community before being swept away by the eventual father of her two children, Julian Bravo.

Julian is a playboy jetsetter whose life is fueled by adventure and sex and Violeta finds herself hopelessly enraptured. She leaves her first husband to the dismay and shame of both their families and soon finds herself pregnant with a daughter and then a son. Julian is vocal about his disinterest in children and marriage. Luckily, Violeta is in business with one of her brothers, Jose Antonio, and is able to financially provide for herself. She also manages Julian’s books and covers for some of his more nefarious undertakings as a pilot, moving people under the cover of night from South America to Miami, Florida in the 1950s.

But Violeta’s life is constantly plagued by uncertainty both due to her relationship with Julian and the socio-political forces that led to social and political upheaval in the southern cone of South America from the late 1960s into the 1980s. One of the most compelling features of this book is the way Allende interweaves historical facts presented through the perspective of a fictional character. Not many readers may be familiar with Operation Condor, an effort by the U.S. to back military dictatorships which led to the kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of political opponents. In the book, Violeta’s son, Juan Martin, was involved in the resistance forces leading up to the political upheaval and managed to escape torture and death with the help of a family friend. Juan eventually escapes to Norway and finds refuge among a community of Latin American asylum-seekers in Oslo, an interesting juxtaposition from the German expatriate community of the 1950s in his home country.

Violeta’s life spans 100 years and ends with her alone in her final days in the rural property of her youth. It is 2020 and the coronavirus is spreading from Asia westward and the world finds itself shutdown. She is isolated in her final days and uses this time to recount her life story to Camilo before she meets her ancestors on the Other Side.

Overall, Allende’s novel is a gripping tale of one woman’s extraordinary life and is a highly recommended read.

Violeta del Valle is Isabel Allende’s protagonist for the 20th century and beyond. Her life is book-ended by her early years during the “Spanish” influenza through Covid. But the focus is on what Violeta has endured and accomplished through a life of economic, political, social and romantic ups and downs. Violeta is born into a monied existence in an unnamed South American city/country that takes elements from Chile. Her family life is upended with a scandal and reversal of fortune. They leave for the countryside where Violeta thrives, makes lifelong family/friends, and realizes she has choices to set her course for other places/situations. Her decisions will take her into situations that help her achieve, challenge her morals, place her in abusive relationships, and question her role as businesswoman and mother. Her choices are not always wise nor good but they unfold within the context of her ever-growing worldview.

In my mind, there were three parts to this book. Allende uses the narrative as types of “letter(s)” or story to Camilo, an important young man who is identified later in the book. This was Violeta’s opportunity to correct/justify/inform choices made. Then there is the history/social situation of what was happening globally during her long life. Told from a SA perspective, it was unique in many ways and informs what she did or did not do. Lastly, there is Violeta’s own emotional story that takes the reader into her dark corners and bright yearnings.

Overwhelmed by the history, numerous characters (that appear and reappear) I found it difficult to connect with the main character. I was more interested in the history (and some of the other characters) than where Violeta would “land” next. But the book is quite an accomplishment and worth the long journey. I was left with both admiration and sorrow regarding her life….and I think that was how it should be. Recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this title.

I really enjoyed this book about a woman’s 100 year life. She was born during one pandemic and died during another. I loved the emotion in her relationships, the scenic descriptions and reading about the various people and cultures. The story is told through her voice as she tells it to someone of whom we discover later in the book. Truly keeps you wanting to know what happens next.

"There is no greater power on this earth than story." (Libba Bray)

Isabel Allende stands among 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 descrbing 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 bearing 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 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 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 book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Random House (Ballantine Books) and to the highly talented Isabel Allende.

Violeta by Isabel Allende

If you are new to Isabel Allende, you are in for a real treat. This is historical fiction at its best. The family saga of Violeta Del Valle covers her life in South America from a young girl to adulthood; 1920 to the present. Spoilers are easy to tell and hard to hide, so I will do my best to keep secrets in check.

Violeta tells her interesting life story to Camilo through missives and diaries, though we don’t get to know who Camilo is until about two-thirds of the way through the story. Violeta explains to Camilo about all of the people who were important to her throughout her life, how they affected her, and why they should mean something to him as well.

We meet a lot of characters as Violeta brings them in, and then we watch them disappear and return; some many times. The intriguing weaving of these characters is the strength of Allende. You always want to know more. She teases us.

Through her letters, we also learn a lot about the history of “her country” (unnamed) and the good and bad of the different regimes and leaders over time.There is truth in Violeta’s/Allende’s writings. You will be better informed about a side of life unfamiliar to you as you fly through this terrific novel.