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Violeta cover art

Violeta

Written by: Isabel Allende, Frances Riddle
Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
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Publisher's Summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • This sweeping novel from the author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.

“An immersive saga about a passion-filled life.”—
People

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: PopSugar, Real Simple, Reader’s Digest

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father’s prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics.

Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.

©2022 Isabel Allende (P)2022 Random House Audio

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What listeners say about Violeta

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Sue
  • 2022-02-04

Fantastic Book

As always with Allende I was captured immediately. I loved this book and have already recommended it to friends.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Violeta is a very good read.

I liked the story. It flowed well and was very interesting. I really like stories by this author.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing beautiful story. Best oration.

Isabel is the best writer of all time and Yareli is an incredible narrator. Really brought this beautiful story to life.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Ev
  • 2022-02-06

This dragged on

I truly enjoyed Part 1 and 2 of this woman's fascinating life, but after that the story became cumbersome to listen to.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loved From Beginning to End

Listening to this book transports me! I am already regretting that it's over and have re-listened to a few of the last chapters. The soothing voice of Yareli is rhythmic and comforting to my ears. Its so interesting to understand the strains of time through decades that I haven't lived, right up to her conclusion during our current a Covid pandemic. It makes it more understandable. I highly recommend this book! Keep in your library and re-read when you need a little softness in your life🤍

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Felt like 100 years

The historical fiction is interesting if you are familiar with that era. Very long though...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing Read

A must read for 2023! Funny, sad, I felt it all’s like this moment, I feel sad to not be reading some more.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book!

I thought this book was really interesting and heartbreaking. The main character was likeable. I would definitely recommend this book!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

A diary but not a diary

Looking at the other reviews, I realize that this was simply not my type of book. The faux style of a personal journal (or a letter to a grandson) might have been moderately interesting had it been an actual journal, but it is touted as a novel and hence supposed to be an invented story. That I didn’t care about. The narration was bland and emotionless. The protagonist was self serving, but not self reflective. She never seemed to regret any of her appalling decisions or take responsibility for them. My last book by Allende. Life is too short.

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