The critics may erase all of my poetry but this poem that I today remember, nobody will be able to erase.
Pablo Neruda, 4th August 1939

The ‘poem’ to which the poet Pablo Neruda refers is the French steamer ‘The Winnipeg’ which he chartered to transport 2,200 refugees who had escaped from Franco and the Spanish civil war. They had been living in desperate conditions in camps in France and Neruda had arranged for them to escape to Chile, the place he described as ‘a long petal of the sea and wine and snow’ where they landed in the port of Valparíso on September the third, 1939. They had also just avoided WW2, which had just broken out.

The journey of the Winnipeg is at the heart of ‘a long petal of the sea’ by Isabel Allende, acting as a before and after. Before, you have the Spanish Civil war, which is where we meet Victor, a doctor tending the Republican wounded (the book opens with the most incredibly imagery of him massaging a heart). We also meet a young girl called Roser, an ex-goat herder and music student, and these two will be at the centre of the book

Historical Fiction

‘A long petal of the sea’ is historical fiction at its best, covering such a fascinating period from the Spanish civil war through to the right wing takeover by Pinochet in Chile and after. I've always had an interest in the Spanish civil war and having visited Catalonia and the Basque country, always always keen to learn more, especially about the independence movement. I’m also keen to hear about the Irishmen who fought for the Republicans, the fifth brigade, although of course the church supported Franco and encouraged young Irish men to join the fascists. Progressive as always.

The descriptions of the Spanish civil war felt vivid and real. Allende really gives you a sense of the human cost of the conflict, especially through Victor’s brother Gullieme. As the war turns in the nationalists favour, and the refugees flee to the border with France, the writing is especially strong:

“Crammed into cattle trucks or battered vehicles, lying on the floor, freezing cold, constantly jolted, with no food, combatants who had just been operated on, or the wounded, blind, had amputated limbs, or were delirious from fever, typhus, dysentery, or gangrene, made their way out of Barcelona.
The medical staff had nothing with which to relieve their suffering, and could offer only water, words of comfort, and sometimes, if a dying man asked for it, a final prayer”.

Family Saga

‘A long petal of the sea’ is also very much a family saga, not just about Victor and the Dalmaus, but the middle class del Solar family, who we meet in Chile. From the father Isidiro, his wife Laura, idealistic son Felipe and headstrong and beautiful daughter, Ofelia, the characters are rich and memorable. Even more minor characters like the housekeeper Juana, are layered and have back stories of their own.

There’s a lot going on in the second half of the book - forbidden love, the class divide and the experiences of the immigrant in a new land. It felt effortlessly interwoven and for me the pace never flagged, though I probably enjoyed the first part set in Spain a bit more. But that’s a minor quibble in a book with story and writing as good a this: this is one of the best books by Isabel Allende that I have read.

“My heart is broken, he told himself. It was at that moment he understood the profound meaning of that common phrase: he thought he heard the sound of glass breaking and felt that the essence of his being was pouring out until he was empty, with no memory of the past, no awareness of the present, no hope for the future.”

Storytelling

The thing that stood out for me in ‘a long petal of the sea’ is that Isabel Allende is an incredible storyteller. The way she weaves events, characters and experiences is masterful. I especially learnt a lot about the Pinochet years and how those times came about.

As well as Neruda, there are other real life characters in the book. Elisabeth Eidenbenz is a Swiss nurse who Victor falls for, whilst Salvator Allende, who Victor befriends, is the president deposed and killed by Pinochet. It was only after finishing the book that I found out that Allende was the cousin and godfather of Isabel Allende, who had to flee with her family to Venezuela because she had tried to help the victims of brutality in Chile and found her life under threat.

Freedom and Repression

‘A long petal of the sea’ is a book very much about the fight between freedom and repression, a never ending battle throughout history and the increasing parallels with the times we find ourselves in. History is a nightmare from which I am trying to awake, indeed. There’s a lot of bravery and resilience in this book.

The plight of the refugee is also a topical one and it’s something that is explored in this book. From the squalid conditions of the camps to people fleeing brutality and repression, a lot of ‘A long petal of the sea’ is sadly familiar.

“We have to defend democracy, but remember that not everything is politics. Without science, industry, and technology, no progress is possible, and without music and art, there's no soul.”

Beating Heart

The story of Victor and Roser is very much the beating heart of ‘A long petal of the sea’ by Isabel Allende, as we follow them from Barcelona to Chile and later Venezuela, watching their relationship develop and change over the years. It’s also the story of their country, both their homeland and adopted nation, and their culture. It’s about the Spanish civil war and Chile’s recent troubled history and it’s written with such passion because it’s obviously a book from the heart.

This is a superb work of historical fiction with a cast of interesting, complicated characters and a story and family saga that spans decades and continents. It’s wonderfully written and evocative, with a story to completely immerse yourself in.

Is this one of the best books by Isabel Allende? Let me know below!

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Book review - A long petal of the sea by Isabel Allende

Bloomsbury Publishing 21st June 2020

318 Pages

Also reviewed by Isabelle Allende - The wind knows my name