I’m a big fan of Allende’s writing and was immediately drawn to the gorgeous cover of her new novel. Told in letter format from South American centenarian Violeta del Valle to “her best friend" Camilo, this novel recounts Violeta’s 100 years of life between two pandemics, the Spanish flu and coronavirus. Violeta shares about her childhood of wealth that was shattered due to the Great Depression and the suicide of her father. As the years go by, we hear about her love affairs, her business adventures, her friends and family, including her daughter’s addiction to drugs--all told through the lens of various political and historical events of the 20th-century. Violeta’s tales of her very full life are engrossing and keep the novel moving.

Yet, due to the letter format, we rarely “see” Violeta’s emotions, but are instead “told” about what happens and how she feels about it, lessening their impact on the reader and our emotional investment in the main character. Big events come and go at a rapid pace, with most being told (at times like a historical text) instead of felt. Still, I loved the character of Violeta. A complex, passionate, strong-willed woman who had quite the life…I just wish I knew a bit more about the soul and spirit underneath the experiences.

If you like strong and fascinating female protagonists and stories that weave in history throughout the fictional narrative, this is the novel for you!