Product Description

An orphan raised in Valparaíso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. She enters a rough-and-tumble world whose newly arrived inhabitants are driven mad by gold fever. With the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en, Eliza moves freely in a society of single men and prostitutes, creating an unconventional but independent life for herself. The young Chilean's search for her elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of journey, and by the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide who her true love really is.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16622 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-01
• Released on: 2006-05-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

About the Author

Born in Peru and raised in Chile, Isabel Allende is the author of eight novels, including, most recently, Zorro, Portrait in Sepia, and Daughter of Fortune. She has also written a collection of stories; three memoirs, including My Invented Country and Paula; and a trilogy of children's novels. Her books have been translated into more than twenty-seven languages and have become bestsellers across four continents. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Isabel Allende lives in California.

Nacida en PerÚ y criada en Chile, Isabel Allende es la autora de nueve novelas incluyendo mÁs recientemente Zorro, Retrato en Sepia, Hija de la Fortuna e InÉs del Alma MÍa. TambiÉn ha escrito cuentos cortos, tres libros autobiogrÁficos incluyendo Mi PaÍs Inventado y Paula, y una trilogÍa de libros para jÓvenes. Sus libros han sido traducidos a mÁs de 27 idiomas y son bestsellers a travÉs del mundo entero. En 2004, fue nombrada a la Academia de Artes y Letras de los Estados Unidos. Vive en California.

Customer Reviews

Too much narrative..too little coversation
This was more like a biography, but about somebody that did not really exist. The author narrates almost the entire book. You can read four pages before you find anything at all in quotation marks. For those that like to feel like they are a part of the story and times, that you are actually there, this is not a book for you. I could not get into it at all due the writing style. The author also tends to go on and on about characters and events completely irrelevent to the actual heroine. I was excited about reading this book and was very sad that I could not enjoy it. Was literally blah blah blah.

Definitely worth reading!
I had previously read The Stories of Eva Luna and wanted to try another Allende book. I love her writing style. In Daughter of Fortune, the end dragged a bit and maybe she should have dropped a character or two. I also never really felt the love between the main character and the person with whom she ended up. Maybe there are a few more loose ends that could have been tied up as well, but I don't want to put any spoilers. Considering these minor details, this is truly a great read! I love how she writes historical fact into the novel and transcends the reader to another time with a modern mind.

I was robbed! The ending left me hanging.
*SEMI-SPOILER ALERT*

Eliza Sommers grew up in Chile and was adopted into a family that is all about secrets... a LOT of secrets, btw. She ends up "falling in love" with a moody young fellow named Joaquin and ends up following him to California during the gold rush. (why is beyond me! i didn't buy into that part much).

I found the description of California during the gold rush to be quite fascinating, though. I really enjoyed that part of the book. I think that Ms. Allende has a gift in describing historical settings. I felt like I could really imagine what it was like during that time period. I also thought that her take on it was different than what I learned growing up and found that interesting as well. Ms. Allende weaved the plot together with great sights, sounds and smells.

I go back and forth about giving this 2-stars vs. 3-stars. But I'm so mad at the ending of this book that I'm only giving it 2 stars. It left me hanging with too many unanswered questions. I know some people really liked the ending, but for me - it irked. I keep thinking about the book, too, and wondering how the characters reacted to one another after the big surprise ending.

I also thought that Eliza's story living on the road was WAY too long. I really wanted to know more about her and Tao, her Chilean family and how that all ended. It made me mad that Eliza obsessed over Joaquin for so long and that a large part of the book was about her obsession. Yes, some girls really do obsess over their first love for unknown reasons... but to read that much of a book about it bugged.

What about her and Tao?? Why were we left hanging there with him? We never got to see them together in the present. Ugh. I'm still mad that I gave 3 nights away to read this and have it end the way it did. I thought for sure it wouldn't end right then. What happens with her aunt? Does Eliza find out about her true identity? How does she react?

I much prefer Ms. Allende's "Inez of My Soul."