I was afraid the book had gotten away from her. It had gotten away from me, and I thought irretrievably. It begins slowly like one of those austere Chilean warships, becomes unwieldy, and when the engine explodes, I was sure we were going to the bottom. It sailed into port like a hand in a silk glove. But let me try to be a little more prosaic.
The titular Emilia del Valle grows up in San Fransisco during the 1890s, the last gasp of the gold rush. Her mother, an Irish girl, was about to take her vows as a nun when she was seduced by a Chilean aristocrat who abandoned her and her child. She finds shelter and eventual domestic bliss with a greathearted schoolteacher, but she always harbors a desire for revenge upon her seducer. And she tries to transfer that vengeful desire to Emilia.
Her mother's revenge fantasies fuel Emilia's first forays as a writer, dime novels under an assumed (male) name. That's important to remember: Emilia is a writer. That will be more than her vocation. It will be her salvation.

The story then widens out from a family saga in a dangerous way as Emilia's inevitably pulled into her father's orbit and her fatherland, which is in the middle of a brutal civil war, brutally detailed by Allende. The effect is jarring, as if the author has set off a bomb in the middle of a tea party. The shift seems almost unforgivable.

But just when you're about to be swamped the ship changes tack again. Emilia's reaction to the horrors she has witnessed and undergone is profound, and she undertakes a journey which seems impossibly foolhardy, but it's as much an inward journey as a matter of miles, a journey to the heartland and to her own heart, the heart of a writer.

Confused? I was. And exasperated at times, but in the end I was won over. It's a difficult book, not in its lambent prose, but in its shifting scope. It takes a pro to pull it off. Isabelle Allende is up to the task.

One of my favorite books from this author in years - Allende is always a master of her craft, but when she really sinks her teeth into a sweeping historical drama, it’s truly something special to experience. Transporting, vivid, and rich - loved it.

A story that you can't predict. Meet a young woman who finds family and love and adventure in most unexpected ways.

I usually love Allende's work but this round I got lost a few times. I think the storyline was too complicated and the descriptions too detailed for the hectic week in which I read it.

I recommend this when you're ready for a young woman's gripping saga ... and you have time to relish the rich language and textures of Emilia's journey.

Emilia, the daughter of an Irish nun and Chilean aristocrat, is raised by her mother and stepfather in San Francisco. A creative thinker, Emilia begins publishing dime store novels under a male name. When pulp novels no longer intrigue her, she convinces The Daily Examiner to hire her as a journalist. There she is paired with Eric Whelan. When civil war erupts in Chile, she talks her paper into sending her in country. There, she finally meets her father’s family.

This was an intriguing and fast paced novel. The characters were realistic and well developed. I loved learning about Chile and enjoyed that the author had Emilia and Eric covering different sides of the war. I’m not going to give anything away, but I was a bit perplexed by the ending. It just seemed different from the rest of the story. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

Isabel Allende’s latest novel, My Name Is Emilia del Valle, is a masterful blend of historical fiction and personal journey, showcasing her incredible and unique talent with storytelling. Set in the late 19th century, the narrative follows Emilia del Valle, a young woman born in San Francisco to an Irish mother and a Chilean nobleman. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia’s insatiable curiosity and determination lead her to defy societal norms, pursuing a career in writing and journalism— rare for woman of her time, and brave.

Allende’s prose is vivid, taking us from the bustling streets of San Francisco to the tumultuous landscapes of Chile during the civil war. Emilia’s journey to her father’s homeland is not only a quest for personal identity but also an immersive exploration of a nation in conflict. Allende's meticulous research and attention to detail paints a rich view of the era’s political and cultural situations..

Emilia’s character is an ode to resilience and independence. Her evolution from a pulp fiction writer under a male pseudonym to a courageous journalist reporting from the front lines is inspiring.

My Name Is Emilia del Valle is a captivating tale that further cements Isabel Allende’s status as a literary legend. Her ability to intertwine personal narratives with historical events creates a profound and unforgettable novel. I recommend this book whole-heartedly..

Isabelle Allende has written another masterpiece. Emilia is conceived by an Irish American nun impregnated by a Chilean aristocrat. She is raised by her mother and devoted stepfather, Papo. Papo supports her to become a courageous, independent, and resourceful young woman. She aspires to be a journalist and lands a job at the San Francisco Examiner, which provides her the opportunity to cover a civil war in Chile. With her life in peril, she explores not just the culture, topography, and sociopolitical dynamics of Chile, but also gains a deeper understanding of herself and her biological father's family.

As with her previous books, Allende delivers another riveting novel with complex characters you come to love, intriguing settings, and plot twists that keep you guessing what will happen next. I highly recommend My Name is Emilia del Valle.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC!

In "My Name is Emilia del Valle", Isabel Allende crafts a fiercely strong female protagonist at the end of the 19th century who takes on an unprecedented role in the Chilean Civil War.

In 1866, Emilia del Valle is born in San Francisco to an Irish nun who never planned to get pregnant, but is raised under the love of her stepfather Don Pacho and encouraged to look beyond the stereotypical roles expected of women at the time. Well-educated and strong-minded, Emilia begins pursuing her love of writing at a young age, writing dime novels under a male pseudonym that are inspired by stories her mother imagines, and channels it into a future job as a journalist - still taking on a fake name to hide her gender. Her determination proves her value, however, and a strong friendship with fellow journalist Eric Whelan eventually land the two in the heart of the Chilean Civil War.

It is during this time that Emilia is forced to grow up quickly, coming to terms with the brutalities of war as she's forced into the front lines to witness the battles. She grows close with a number of the Chilean canteen girls, women who take on multiple roles as providers, caretakers, and nurses to support the soldiers at the front lines and details their heroic efforts in her writing. It is also in Chile that she finally meets her biological father face-to-face as well as the remnants of his family, coming to terms with her own background. While Allende does also spend some time on Emilia's romantic developments, I personally found this one of the lesser interesting aspects of the story.

The novel as a whole is an incredible work of historical fiction, especially for those who don't have much background on this time period; it's clear an extensive amount of research and work has gone into the writing. The pacing is fairly quick, as we follow Emilia through her life and work, and the events covered are fascinating and enthralling. What I struggled with, however, is how disconnected I felt from the protagonist, even with the story being told from a first-person perspective; the novel feels like more of a chronological retelling of events, and very little of Emilia's true emotions and thoughts, her struggles and pain, are shared. I've read several of Allende's earlier works and still am not sure if this is a matter of translation, or simply her style of writing.

Overall a recommended read for those who appreciate a strong female protagonist and well-researched historical fiction, but not one of my personal favorites.

Thank you Ballantine Books for the advance copy of this novel!

My least favorite book written by Allende It read like a history lesson and I found it confusing and hard to follow. I didn’t find the protagonist, Emilia, to be someone who I cared enough for to want to know her life story. The themes of feminism and lost parentage were not well developed.

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.