Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende is a historical fiction story following a young Chilean girl following the love of her life to California during the Gold Rush. Ms. Allende is a Chilean-American novelist, known for focusing on women’s experiences in Latin America.
My rating for Daughter of Fortune — 4
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I enjoyed Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende very much, this is most likely the favorite book I read by the author – so far. The story is fascinating, great characters, and multi-layered.
As always, Miss Allende explores multiple themes throughout the narrative, focusing on women’s issues in Latin America. However, Miss Allende does not beat the reader over the head with what she wants to convey, she just tells a good story. in the book, we follow several women of different social, and cultural, stature. Each of them, however, is strong, independent, and daring rebelling against the social confines which they find obstructive.
The translation by renowned translator and professor Margaret Sayers Peden is flowing, while keeping to the original intent, I believe. Even though I read the book in English, I could certainly tell it was not only being told from a Latin perspective, but a Latin person.
The copy I had, however, had several typos and grammatical errors which bothered me. This was not the first edition (I read Oprah’s Book Club edition), nor is it by an independent author. It’s was a paperback published by a major publishing house and I cannot fathom how these mistakes weren’t caught.
That being said, this is historical fiction at its best. There are many interesting facts, cultures, and characters which enhance the whole experience.
I like these types of books where each character has their own story. The readers get introduced, briefly, to one character with a “more to come” type of tease several chapters later, however, we get a whole backstory on him/her and how the fit in the overall narrative.
I also didn’t realize that this novel is the first part of the Involuntary trilogy. I already ordered the second book, and will certainly read it, as well as the third in the series.
Eliza Sommers was found in a soapbox on the steps of the Sommers family. Living in Valparaíso, Chile Miss Rose raised Eliza to be a lady. When the young Eliza meets the poor clerk Joaquín Andieta she falls in love.
Joaquín Andieta, however, has his sites on the gold in California and leaves Eliza to follow his dreams. Not soon after, Eliza runs away to look for Joaquín in the wide-open spaces, and very dangerous, California.
Buy Daughter of Fortune from Amazon.com*
More Books by Isabel Allende*
More books translated by Margaret Sayers Peden*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free
*Amazon links point to an affiliate account, the money is usually spent on books
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