Violeta by Isabel Allende
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, library volunteer
Genre: Fiction
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the Book About?: Written in the form of a letter to her grandson, Violeta details the story of Violeta’s 100 years on planet Earth. Bracketed by two pandemics – born during the 1920 flu epidemic and ending during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 – the engrossing story of Violeta’s lifetime navigates family and national crises, tragedy, joy and passion.
My Review: Award-winning author Isabel Allende has created in Violeta, a saga that melds history and fiction. Set in an unnamed South American country, Violeta’s life story echoes Allende’s own story as Chilean exile. Reading Violeta’s story, one doesn’t know exactly what is fiction and what is taken from the pages of Allende’s personal history or Chile’s history. But that ambiguity only makes the story more intriguing; it draws the reader further into Violeta’s story and dares the reader to explore more of Allende’s and Chile’s histories. I enjoyed this book – its warmth, its heartaches, and its joys. I listened to the digital audio version and especially enjoyed the way narrator Yareli Arizmendi brought Violeta to life. I hope you will check out this engaging tale, in print or audio!
Three Words That Describe This Book: historical, passionate, heartbreaking
Give This a Try if You Like… Books or films that tell a person’s life history against a backdrop of history and national events, such as In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez or Bernhard Schlink’s Olga.
Rating: 5/5
