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- Women's fiction - |
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Daughter of Fortune |
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 Daughter of Fortune byIsabel Allende, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden HarperCollins 399 pages, 1999 ISBN 006019491 Reviewed by Nancy Duncan Read another review by Andrea Collare If you love reading sweeping panoramic novels that capture your heart and imagination, DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE is sure to please. Allende draws the reader into the history and flavor of an era long past. Spanning the continents from Chile to the American gold rush, Allende's writing is magical, enticing, and evocative of an expert craftsman to be admired. This is the story of Eliza Sommers, a striking Chilean beauty abandoned as an infant, taken in and raised by spinster Rose Sommers, and her servant Mama Fresia. When at sixteen, Eliza falls in love with Joaquin Andieta, she embarks on a secret love affair which results in pregnancy. Just as the California gold rush explodes, Joaquin finds he can't resist seeking his fortune and flees for America. It is on this stage that Allende sets her ambitious novel about love lost, gold fever, racial and social issues. As Eliza matures into an independent woman, her own personal journey of self discovery evolves. Once in the gold fields, a sub plot develops where Tao Chi'en, a Chinese healer, and Eliza form a unique friendship. Tao rescues Chinese girls sold into prostitution on the shores of San Francisco. Allende is a marvel with words. She is able to weave rich historical detail into a tale filled with drama, love, and passion spun upon a colorful backdrop that is historically accurate. This is a story that is sure to please many readers late into the night. |
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