Isabel Allende, Trans. by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson
PositiveWorld Literature TodayAs the journey unfolds, the family of protagonists becomes so round and relatable that a reader is left with not only an increased knowledge of historical and political events but a genuine sense of loss when the book concludes ... Allende is the niece of Salvador Allende, president of Chile from 1970 to 1973. Her investment in the twentieth-century political landscape is evident in its razor-sharp depiction. A reader gets a genuine sense of the turmoil occurring around the globe in a time before transnational citizenship/identity was commonplace ... A couple points of critique: the wide scope of the novel creates some segments that tend to be less engaging than others. Also, the rich, smooth, flowing English prose of Allende’s earlier translated works is missing, replaced with flat, repetitive sentence patterns in places. Regardless, the work is certain to find its rightful place in the ever-growing collection of refugee literature as well as in Allende’s personal canon. It is well worth a read.
