A review by beaucoupmich
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

emotional informative sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book has reminded me of why I love historical fiction so much.

I think it's right to put a highlight on how rich the writing is in this book. It's the first time I read any of Allende's book and since this is one of her most recent works I consider myself lucky, because she's certainly known her way around with words for years. Of course the premise sounds strange for our times since the book took place throughout decades starting from the 1930s, and some aspects could be weird as heck, especially regarding the characters, who had questionable moral compass, in my opinion. I'm not too fond of the characters as individuals, but by God, what a long life they've been through together (and not)!

While reading we got to see meaning behind the title and I think it was so touching how it was delivered. This book is overall a tribute to a homeland, a homage to history, and a beautiful narrative about home and the idea of home. It is also, to my understanding, an acknowledgement to creative minds: poets, artists, musicians, and how their contribution too were important in surviving the wars and other dire times. I can't get over the following paragraph:

"During the endless evenings in that reduced space, he went over the list of refugees he had granted a place on board in Bordeaux that distant August 1939 day, as well as other exiled Spanish men and women who arrived in Chile in the years that followed. Victor pointed out that Neruda's refusing to stick to the government's order to select only skilled workers, and instead including artists and intellectuals, had enriched the country with a wide range of talent, knowledge, and culture. In under a decade they had provided outstanding scientists, musicians, painters, writers, journalists, and even a historian whose dream was the monumental task of rewriting the history of Chile from its origins." (p. 215)

This could've been that love story with marriage of convenience trope, but to me it's more than that. It's a story with an immense expression about hope and loss, the becomes and the could've beens, the surprises in life, and the broken promises that have never been pledged. If you're a historical fiction fan I highly recommend it.

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