A long petal of the sea is yet another delightful novel about love, courage, injustice and fate that none other than Isabel Allende can write so beautifully about.
In this novel we are again treated to these trusted ingredients that undoubtedly drag us into the eventful lives of people like you and me. People like you and me … or not?
You will become aware of your simple existence if you read about the violent events in the lives of the young doctor Victor and the pianist Roser. They live in turbulent times from the Spanish Civil War in 1939 to the relative peace in Chile in 1994.
During that time, they experience the most horrifying things, but their lives are also enriched by heroism of others and lifelong friendships. There are beautiful sidelines to the lives of their family members or other extras, through which you get to know the generations well.
As Allende likes to do, these characters keep popping up. The book is about the fight against the dictatorship, in Spain but later also in Chile. Allende is not afraid of the truth and describes violent details both down-to-earth and gripping. She impressively connects history with fictional characters, but it never gets unlikely. For example, it’s easy to see the parallel with the current situation of refugees on the borders of Europe when it comes to almost half million refugees who had to leave Spain when Franco came to power.
Allende knows how to describe the situation so strikingly that it immediately touches you. A heavy book? No; A long petal of the sea is a beautiful and compelling story that will reverberate in your head for a long time.
