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Jan 25, 2022 Kristine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2022-new-releases, arc-or-ng-books, magical-fantasy-dystopian, countries-south-american, historical-fiction, pub-jan, grc-2023, arc-ng-2022

“Tell Me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life��

This was a beautiful book about the life of Violeta Del Valle. It starts in 1920, when Violeta is born at the time The Spanish Flu is occurring. She lives with her family, who had lived as Aristocrats. Life changes dramatically though. I loved the journey Violeta’s life took her on over the course of 100 years. This is a rich story that introduces an entire family and also friends who become family. The characters are reall “Tell Me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life��

This was a beautiful book about the life of Violeta Del Valle. It starts in 1920, when Violeta is born at the time The Spanish Flu is occurring. She lives with her family, who had lived as Aristocrats. Life changes dramatically though. I loved the journey Violeta’s life took her on over the course of 100 years. This is a rich story that introduces an entire family and also friends who become family. The characters are really well developed and I was so interested in them. I would recommend this to anyone who likes reading a wonderful character driven story, enjoys Isabel Allende’s writing, and is interested in learning about life over a century.

There were so many events that occurred in Violeta’s life. This book shares how a person develops over time shaped by occurrences in one’s life. Violeta makes some choices that work well for her and some that don’t. She learns and grows throughout the book. She always has family or her chosen family members around to lift her up and carry her along. So, this is a tribute to that. Violeta lives through the Stock Market crash, poverty, uncertainty, moving, World War II, conflict in her own country (which is not specified, although I believe it was supposed to be Chile), living under a dictatorship that is highly repressive, marriages, good relationships, destructive relationships, having children, love, loss, heartbreak, developing independence, and balancing having freedom vs the desire to be active with her family. She does many unconventional things for her time. She is especially talented developing housing units and is able to support herself. This was a huge accomplishment and one she values strongly. Working allows her greater freedom to makes choices for herself, as well as help other people.

The book is broken into four sections that I think express how Viola is living. It is 1-Exile, 2-Passion, 3-Absence, and 4-Rebirth. It is a life fully lived and one that is now being reflected on. The book is written to her beloved grandson, Camilo. It is the type of book that you savor and patiently read. I felt as if I was with Viola many times throughout the story. The incredible descriptions of the scenery, landscape, smells made the story that much finer.

I did not want the book to end and leave so many characters I got to know such as Aunt Pilar, Aunt Pia, Miss Josephine Taylor, Teresa Rivas, Abel Rivas, Lucinda Rivas, Bruno Rivas, Jose Antonio, Torino, Juan Martin, Nieve, Camilo, Facunda and her children, and many others. Yet, life is the same, you must take it in when you can because people do not stay the same and are not always there for many reasons. This book celebrates life and the wonders it offers and the torment, too. That is a challenge all of us face until our final days on earth. This is a tribute to all who lived in this book. Isabel Allende is a master story teller and I loved how she wove so many elements into this story.

Thank you NetGalley, Isabel Allende, and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this book. ...more

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Oct 24, 2021 Maria Smith rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this advance copy. I have long been a fan of Isabel Allende, from the mesmerising and heart-breaking Paula (one of my favourite books of all time), to the enchanting House of the Spirits. Her most recent offering did not disappoint.

"I imagine some day when you are old and less busy, you might want to stop and remember me. I think you'll see that my life story is worthy of a novel, because of my sins more than my virtues."

Violeta, a centenarian, write ...more

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Oct 24, 2021 Maria Smith rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for this advance copy. I have long been a fan of Isabel Allende, from the mesmerising and heart-breaking Paula (one of my favourite books of all time), to the enchanting House of the Spirits. Her most recent offering did not disappoint.

"I imagine some day when you are old and less busy, you might want to stop and remember me. I think you'll see that my life story is worthy of a novel, because of my sins more than my virtues."

Violeta, a centenarian, write ...more

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May 03, 2022 Χριστίνα Ψύλλα rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

H Allende δεν θα σταματήσει ποτέ να με συναρπάζει.
Τα βιβλία της είναι τόσο συναισθηματικά και τόσο αληθινά που σε καθηλώνουν, είτε διαβάζεις το είδος είτε όχι.

Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο μας εξιστορείται μια ιστορία που όμως μέσα της έχει πολλές ακόμα, μιας και περνάει από πολλά σημαντικά ιστορικά γεγονότα. Αυτό από μόνο του ακούγεται αρκετά δελεαστικό για μερικούς λάτρεις του ιστορικού. Για εμένα όμως το πιο εντυπωσιακό της ιστορίας ήταν η Βιολέτα.

“It’s much easier to be generous with a full belly

H Allende δεν θα σταματήσει ποτέ να με συναρπάζει.
Τα βιβλία της είναι τόσο συναισθηματικά και τόσο αληθινά που σε καθηλώνουν, είτε διαβάζεις το είδος είτε όχι.

Στο συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο μας εξιστορείται μια ιστορία που όμως μέσα της έχει πολλές ακόμα, μιας και περνάει από πολλά σημαντικά ιστορικά γεγονότα. Αυτό από μόνο του ακούγεται αρκετά δελεαστικό για μερικούς λάτρεις του ιστορικού. Για εμένα όμως το πιο εντυπωσιακό της ιστορίας ήταν η Βιολέτα.

“It’s much easier to be generous with a full belly than an empty one,�� they said. I’ve never believed that, though, because I’ve seen that both kindness and cruelty exist everywhere.��

Μια χαρακτήρας δυναμική, με κριτική σκέψη και άποψη, κόντρα στο κατεστημένο και τις προκαταλήψεις της εποχής που παρουσιαζόταν σαν μια φρέσκια ανάσα φεμινισμού που έβγαινε αβίαστα. Ήταν τόσο φυσική και καθόλου δήθεν, ίσα ίσα για να εξυπηρετεί την σύγχρονη λογοτεχνία, αλλά ακριβώς το αντίθετο.
Είναι ένα βιβλίο στο οποίο η σύγχρονη λογοτεχνία μπορεί να υποκλιθεί.

“Exert some independence; you're not a little girl. You can't let anyone else decide things for you. You have to take care of yourself in this world, she said. I've never forgotten those words.��

Αρκετά αφηγηματικό, αλλά τρομερά συγκλονιστικό. Το προτείνω ανεπιφύλακτα.

Ευχαριστώ τις εκδόσεις Ψυχογιός για το αντίτυπο. ...more

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Jan 25, 2022 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arcs, netgalley

Violeta Del Valle was born in 1920, in the midst of the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and died in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. She lived an extraordinary life filled with extraordinary events, including the fall and restoration of democracy in Chile, World War II, the advancement of the rights of women (including suffrage, the ability to divorce, and the right to an abortion in some circumstances), several tumultuous love affairs, and the birth of children and grandchildren. Violet ...more

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Mar 24, 2022 Sindy Castellanos rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Notable novela de ficción histórica, situada en un país de América del sur. Con un estilo cercano y muy sincero, ahorra explicaciones innecesarias, pues está narrada a un ser querido, por lo que no sólo cuenta de los acontecimientos, sino también los sentimientos, las conexiones interpersonales, las batallas y los aprendizajes de Violeta, una extraordinaria y desafiante protagonista. Su vida pone de manifiesto algunas de las aportaciones cruciales que las mujeres hacen, generalmente tras bambali ...more

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