This was a very different book. Emilia was the daughter of a Chilean man and a novice nun. Her step-father was a wonderful father to her. Emilia made money by writing dime novels under a pseudonym. In the 1800s San Francisco, women could not be writers. Even when she started working for a newspaper, she had to write under a man’s name. Emilia wanted more. She and her coworker were sent to Chili to cover a civil war there. She met her biological father and his family and was caught up in the war there.
The writing was beautiful, but it was not a subject that greatly interested me. My Name Is Emilia del Valle, by Isabel Allende, is a story you might enjoy of a young woman stretching the boundaries of convention.

I’ve read several of Isabel Allende’s novels, but I’m not sure I have ever been as enraptured with a character as I was with Emilia del Valle. In fact, there are few characters in literature that I have found more compelling. She is a study of bravery, independence, and adventure – both unique qualities for a woman of her time. The book starts in 19th-century San Francisco with her mother, Molly – an intriguing character in her own right.

Molly is Irish Catholic and preparing to be a nun. One misstep leaves her pregnant and alone, but she gives birth to Emilia, and nothing will be the same. She marries an older man, Francisco Claro (or Papo to Emilia) who loves her and provides. He has a big heart and loves Emilia more than anything. I loved their connection and how he encourages her to dream big – and follow those dreams.

Emilia starts writing dime novels and actually begins to make a living. She has to publish under a male pseudonym and yearns for the time when she can put her name on her works. She becomes a reporter and is absolutely fearless. Being half Chilean, she convinces her editor to send her to Chile to cover the civil war that is brewing. This leads to the bulk of the action… and it is riveting.

Allende’s handling of the battles is top-notch. The writing shows the frightening truth of war – it is not glorious or compelling. It is a brutal, blood-thirsty affair that touches everyone who has the misfortune of being close by. I appreciated her tenacity in sticking to facts. It was so compelling that I found myself reading the history along with her narrative and it was spot on.

There are side plots, but everything leads back to Emilia del Valle. She is a force of nature. Her journey of self-discovery with the backdrop of a nation’s darkest time is simply captivating. Now that I’ve finished, I will miss her greatly. The middle of the book to the end is a sweeping story that I couldn’t put down.

It is so good. Five stars – I highly recommend.

I have loved Isabel Allende's writing for years. Her writing is so lyrical as she weaves an incredible story in this book. It thrives on its combination of adventure, war, family, inheritance and romance; all components of a work of art. Her characters sing from the pages and you can rejoice in their triumphs and feel for their sorrow. The strength of the two main characters give new meaning to the idea of perseverance and holding fast to one's ideals. This book took me to places quite unknown and I adored every page of the adventure.

I received a free ARC ebook of <i>My Name is Emilia del Valle</i> from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
There's no doubt that Allende can write a stirring tale with independent female protagonists. In this entry, Emilia is the product of a fast-talking Chilean adventurer and a young woman destined for a life in the convent. Emilia has always known the circumstances of her birth, and she is completely devoted to her religious mother and her kind stepfather. Despite her mother's best efforts, Emilia is independent and a risk-taker. Set in the late 19th century In San Francisco, she begins her writing career as an author of dime novels writing under a male pseudonym. She then talks her way into the newspaper business, still forced to write under a pseudonym. Her writing of human interest stories takes her on a cross-country journey to NYC, where she experiences her first love affair.
Emilia's sense of daring, encouraged by her loving stepfather, sends her and another reporter to Chile to report on the Chilean civil war. While in Chile, she is determined to track down her biological father. Despite her willingness to seek out danger, the brutality of the civil war and its aftermath sear her soul. Allende holds nothing back when describing the conditions that Emilia and others face. In the darkness of war, Emilia finds love.
Despite my very limited knowledge of Chile and its political history, this novel serves as a great introduction to the country. The natural beauty of the land and the diverse ethnic groups are well explained.

This current novel follows Emilia del Valle Claro from her childhood in the Mission district of San Francisco, mentored by her stepfather to be an independent free thinker and not to waste her talent. Without giving away the story, she becomes a journalist and takes the opportunity to travel to Chile to cover the civil war in the 1890s. This trip exposes her to the turmoil and oppression in Chile, the separation of class, the fight for survival, and the brutality of war. She also finds her biological father and aunt, and the experience weaves perfectly into the storyline. Not only does she find her roots and learn about her country, but she also finds love. Despite the many odds, she also finds her inheritance which leads to her self-actualization and it is then she feels fulfilled and able to move on with her life.
The Del Valle family is a favorite of Allende fans and readers will enjoy a brief encounter with the main character of Portrait in Sepia in this storyline when Emilia is in Chile. I may need to reread Daughter of Fortune, Portrait in Sepia, and The House of Spirits as they all are loosely tied to each other.

If you have ever read any other books by Isabel Allende, the Del Valle last name might sound familiar to you. Portrait in Sepia, The House of the Spirits, Violeta, and possible other titles that I am not aware of, include characters from the Del Valle family. I can't wait to figure out the genealogy tree to discover and tie all the relationships, and find out where the character traits come from!

My name is Emilia Del Valle, however, and the same is true for the rest of the books about the Del Valle family, is a standalone novel and there is no need to have any previous knowledge about the members of the clan.

Emilia is a complex woman with ambition and courage who is caught between two different worlds in a personal journey to be true to herself. She grew up in CA in the 1870's, she was unconventional and forward thinking, a feminist of her time with values learned mostly from her stepfather.

The first part of the book is Allende at her best. The characters are quirky, the story fascinating, and the plot moves forward at great pace with loving originality. The story telling skills of Allende shine brightly here.

Then the tone changes and Allende becomes a thorough historian; mostly until the end of the book we are caught in the Chilean civil war of 1891-92. She provides the reader with a study of the local events and society that is meticulous and in depth. It almost reads like a history book instead of historical fiction. The narrative will make you do a bit of research and find out more about the Chilean civil war, the battles and the key players in the event, altogether a concept that is probably unfamiliar to most of us. Well done.

Finally, the last part of the book -post civil war- , mostly focuses on the protagonist's character and it was my least favorite part of this novel. The unrealistic behavior of Emilia is partially to blame for it, but also the pace is slower and at the end there are many lose ends. Lots of vivid descriptions of lush landscapes and nature wonders, all with the signature quality of the author's storytelling skills.

This is another great work by Isabel Allende.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC and the opportunity to read and comment on this book.

I often read novels and think nothing of the writing style, merely focus on the plot and characters. Most writing does not make me pause and re-read how certain sentences and phrases flow together. Isabel Allende’s writing is not most writing. I’ve read a number of her other works but especially appreciated her prose in My Name is Emilia del Valle — from her vivid and detailed descriptions of each setting, whether it was San Francisco, New York, Chile, a train or lengthy trip by sea, to her observations about inherent character behaviors and human flaws. I took note of so many poignant and profound quotes that I kept re-reading.

I so appreciated a strong heroine who is bold and makes dangerous decisions - and recognizes when she has misstepped in some ways. Emilia’s journey from her time as a young girl in California to her time in the war-torn country of Chile in the late 19th century was fascinating. While I typically fault authors for what can feel like an easy crutch of featuring a main character who is a professional writer, Emilia’s journalistic endeavors and her articles of historical moments resonated with me. The newspaper features worked well to break up longer descriptive passages and made it easier to step back to that time and “live” history. Some aspects of the war, especially the depiction of a president accused of overstepping his power and at odds with a congress felt eerily prescient to current events.

It is difficult to summarize Allende’s works easily and I appreciate that she can weave so many aspects into one novel that feels coherent and compelling. It is hard to imagine anyone else successfully writing about nuns, dime novels, an exotic dancer, early forms of birth control, political leaders, front lines of the battle field, war time medics / canteen girls, unresolved familial conflict and many journeys across foreign lands. I found the story to have a great balance between the serious and historical elements with the interpersonal and romantic story line as well. Both aspects felt duly visited, neither sacrificing quality of one over the other.

Allende’s prose was vivid and masterful as always and I think this novel would make a beautiful movie, but I would absolutely recommend reading this novel now. Don’t wait for the movie. Plus, the book is always better than the movie, right?

Thank you to Ballantine Books, Isabel Allende and NetGalley for the DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Emilia de Valle is a female force. Set in the 1890s, Emilia is one of a few female journalists in the world. During the Chilean civil war she volunteers to go to the front lines to report on the war, but also to reconnect with her Chilean family. Hers is a story of strength and bravery and the power of women.


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OHHH!!! This was excellent and my first 5 star read of the year. I've always appreciated Allendale's persistent take on historical fiction with rich Latin American history. This has a very core and familiar feeling of her past books -- vivid character development, strong heroine, etc. Loved it!

📖 Book Review 📖 If you could travel back in time, would you? Isabel Allende marvelously brings the nineteenth century to life in her latest novel, My Name is Emilia del Valle. And while Emilia may be a woman trapped in a time where women lack rights and opportunities, she certainly does not let that hold her back from achieving her goals. She pushes the boundaries of women in the publishing world and with fellow journalist and friend, Eric, at her side, tackles some pretty tough issues. This poignant piece of historical fiction packs a powerful punch, taking the reader of a wild ride through the past. Emilia is a character that reminds us to dream big beyond your world, no matter where you live.

This is the first book by Isabel Allende I’ve ever read and I absolutely adore it! I loved Emilia’s internal dialogue and her story of growing up, and the historical context surrounding it!! Isabel Allende’s writing is absolutely beautiful and of course credit to the translator as well! I love the side/background story of Molly and Don Pancho Claro, and how Emilia’s parents impacted her life. I had to take some breaks from the vivid descriptions of the Chilean War and Emilia’s time in the Andes but in a good way! So impactful and this story will stay in my heart forever!!

This is another wonderful book by Isabel Allende. As in past works I've read by her, I was swept into new historical territory by a strong, interesting female protagonist. This time the title character is born in 19th century San Francisco. Encouraged by an unconventional stepfather, she begins to write. She at first writes pulp fiction but makes her way into yellow journalism and into love with a fellow reporter. Definitely a good read.

Allende is one of my favorite authors. She never fails to deliver smart but accessible writing, intriguing story lines rich in detail, carefully well developed characters, and pointed philosophical observations. E.g. "How is it possible that, from the dawn of their presence on earth, men have systematically set out to murder each other?" or, "There will never be peace, Emilia. Violence is man's principal vice."

Emelia's story is intricately woven, from her jilted mother's somewhat unconventional background through Emelia's evolution as a writer of copious dime novels on to investigative journalist. The beloved father who raised her fed her curiousity, taught her to believe in herself, follow her instincts and doggedly pursue her life's most important goal. And what a trip it was.

I have loved Allende, and most enjoyed The House of Spirits. I wanted this book to be the same. I shouldn’t have compared these books to each other because they’re very different and for that reason I think I didn’t enjoy it as much.

If I wasn’t looking for a similar feel to THOS, I would have really enjoyed this book. At times the story was a little slow but it was still so good!

Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for a copy of this ARC.

gorgeously written historical fiction with a very strong sense of time and place, interesting chafracters, and dramatic tension. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

Wonderful story. I’m lost for words truly. It was a great story to read. I highly recommend reading without knowing what it is about. It’s better that way. 10/10

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. The book pulled me in from the first page. Ms. Allende is a talented writer who is great at showing us who Emilia is and what she is made of. I really enjoyed this book except for possibly the visuals of war which were gut-wrenching in their descriptions. A good read about a fierce and determined young woman.

Normally I love this author. I’m also very much a mood reader, so that could definitely be playing a big part in this. For some reason, it just felt like the story dragged. Was not holding my attention.

i'm so glad that isabel Allende has returned to what she does best. Presenting a slice of history, vividly told and well researched, enhanced by the personal element in this case a headstrong, independent woman using her talent as a journalist to travel to Chile from San Francisco to come face to face with a father she never knew. In our Euro-centric system, little is learned of the history of South America, and this account of the Chilean civil war of 1891 is brought to life realistically. In fact, the set pieces of the battles are so well wrought, it is sometimes hard to read. If the main character is a little thin sometimes, it can be forgiven in the all over excellence of the background.

Isabel Allende never disappoints! This is a story blending love, history, and conflict with an archetypal, strong-willed Allende character. I was immersed in Emilia’s character development and felt like I was traveling with her on her journey. Definitely recommend!