In the very first scene of A Long Petal of the Sea, a young doctor reaches into the open chest of a wounded Spanish soldier and gently squeezes his heart, coaxing it back to life. The raw, visceral sensation evoked by such an image is not unlike how it feels to read this book, which is the latest from Isabel Allende and one that I think will dwell in your mind long after reading.
Isabel Allende
Beginning with the brutal Spanish Civil War in 1938 and ending with the fall of Pinochet’s regime in Chile in the early ‘90s, A Long Petal of the Sea is a swift journey through history with the most beautiful love story as its anchor. Victor Dalmau, the aforementioned doctor, is forced into exile from Spain along with his sister-in-law, Roser Bruguera. Abandoned in France, where thousands of Republican allies are languishing in concentration camps along the Franco-Spanish border, Victor is given a chance that will save his and Roser’s lives: to travel to Chile in a cargo ship commissioned by the poet Pablo Neruda and build a new life. Through triumph and despair, it is in Chile that they discover the prevailing power of joy and what it means to belong in a world that seemingly has no place for you.
Spanning decades and continents, this is a story that feels epic yet wholly intimate. It also avoids easy sentimentality – characters do not dwell long on their misfortunes (of which there are many); rather, they push through them with a stoicism that feels poetic and which keeps the plot moving at a breathless pace. Poetry is woven throughout every chapter of this book, and it takes its very name from a work by Pablo Neruda. The poet himself appears as a character alongside other prominent historical figures like Pedro Aguirre Cerda and Salvador Allende, the former President of Chile who was killed during the coup d’état of 1973 and who was also a distant relation of Isabel. Under her pen, these men appear not as monoliths of history, but as fallible, relatable human beings who slip in and out of Roser and Victor’s world along with a cast of other colourful and beautifully sketched out characters.
If you’re already a fan of Isabel Allende, A Long Petal of the Sea will be a familiar delight, but if you’re yet to discover her it will surely leave you wanting more.
A Long Petal of the Sea
Limited Signed Copies Available!
That September 2, 1939, the day of the Spanish exiles' splendid arrival in Chile, the Second World War broke out in Europe.
Victor Dalmau is a young doctor when he is caught up in the Spanish Civil War, a tragedy that leaves his life and the fate of his country forever changed. Together with his sister-in-law, the pianist Roser Bruguera, he is forced out of his beloved Barcelona and into exile. When opportunity to seek refuge in Chile arises, they take it, boarding a ship chartered by...
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
Follow Olivia: Twitter
Comments
February 4, 2020 at 4:00 pm
Fantastic review Olivia. You touched on so many of the features of Allende’s fiction that I admire, the courage and resilience of her characters and the impact of her prose. It is a timely reminder that I am woefully behind in regards to her more recent releases though — this one going straight on my wish list.
February 4, 2020 at 4:08 pm
Thank you so much Jo!