Such a heartfelt and wonderful story of a 100 year old woman. It felt like reading a memoir of a person that exists and the ending had made me cried so much as I was engrossed and got attached with the characters.

Personal Ratings : 4.25🌟

Violeta is a story of the growth of a woman, from her birth till her deathbed. Written in a somewhat letter format, of her telling the story to Camilo (which we'll know who he is later); we follow her journey in 4 different parts, divided into different timelines of her life. Each part has somewhat a significant change of her character. Scandalous and somewhat can be imagined like a telenovela, its a story of love and family, and the growth of a woman till the end of her time.

Personal Thoughts

This story, for me, was literally like reading a memoir of a person that felt so alive. Violeta is the first book I've read from Isabel Allende, and lord, it will definitely not be the last. I came to know Allende from the sitcom Jane The Virgin, and lord, the scandal and the twists felt exactly like watching a telenovela. I loved Violeta as a character. Whilst she can be unlikeable at some times, and made mistakes throughout her life, I liked that she acknowledged them as such and had lived her life to the fullest.

The story is set in four timelines, and each timeline somewhat shows a significant growth on Violeta, from her Adolescence, to her Mid-Twenties, her Mid Sixties and the last part to the 100th year of her life. Whats interesting is how the author somewhat connected her born during the Spanish Influenza and died during the Coronavirus. It somehow corelates with our world now and definitely made the story felt more realistic in a way.

Violeta has not only the mix of scandal and gestures that can be found in Spanish Telenovelas, Allende had highlighted on the pains of being a woman especially being born at a time where women are told to think and act in a certain way. I liked how all the women in this book, whilst not all of them are likeable, it showed how strong they were to go through the pains that life had thrown to them. Its shown in each character that had been in Violeta's life which made me very attached to some of the characters.

Allende had also highlighted on the social issues especially during war and post-war. I liked that we get a glimpse of the era of war in Spain and how Allende had criticized the government and also how poverty had made humans act in a way that is also unthinkable to them.

One of the things that made me hooked in a way with this novel was how Allende had written the story in such a way that we can feel all of Violeta's anguish and feelings. As its written in a letter format, the emotions of Violeta especially towards the end of the book felt more in warmth and I loved when she written the things about her family. Being in an Asian country with tight-knit families makes it relatable, as Violeta's relationships with the extended people in her life that she calls family. Whilst its not perfect, she had somewhat enjoyed her life to the fullest. I truly respect and was always in awe in how Violeta carries herself, her independence, her impulsiveness and how she's so BLOODY SMART IN MAKING MONEY (like Maam we adore you).

All in All , while this book had started with a slow pace, its a read that is unputdownable. You won't be able to stop reading and wanting to find out more on Violeta's history. Definitely a must read for fans of historical fiction, and those who loves telenovelas, with scandals and a mix of backdoor business dealings and of family and the growth of a woman.

Biggest thank you to Pansing Distributions (@definitelybooks) for this copy! Loved it!