Three generations of women, the first of them magical, and all of whom have their lives affected by one of the least self-aware and most selfish men in literature (at least the literature that I've read recently). As little sympathy as I have for Esteban Trueba, however, his characterisation is just amazingly good. His monstrous flaws shape the story in which these women live, and the different ways in which they choose to navigate the world he tries to create are fascinating. I really enjoyed the different variations on mother-daughter relationships, which are really the centre and emotional heart of this book - certainly more convincing than the romances. It all becomes truly horrifying towards the end, the political becoming personal as it always does, but I think perhaps that end, for me, is a little too compressed. Even so, it's a wonderful book and exceptionally well-written. The only story of Allende's that I've read before is - if I recall correctly - a YA series that didn't particularly grab me, but if this is typical of her adult work I certainly want to read more.