Literature Page

Author: Isabel Allende

Age: Late teen and up. I don't really see this as a novel I would teach in school, partly due to some of the more adult themes, but also simply because of the length and narrative style, which I think would be a bit difficult for less mature students.

Genre: Historical fiction.

Topics for Discussion: Love, sacrifice, California gold rush, societal/cultural taboos

Summary: The story follows Eliza's journey from Chile to California to find her missing lover who left her to seek his fortune so that they could marry. Her epic journey takes her from her quiet Chilean village to the bustle of early San Francisco and then on to the interior of California, the very heart of the gold rush. Along the way, Eliza makes her own fortune in the wealth of friends and experiences she gains, and eventually finds the life she didn't even know she was looking for.

Book Review: Allende simply has a wonderful prose style that drew me into this book. Though the story does not progress rapidly, nor to any expected climax, I simply could not put the book down. The added bonus for me, an avid history buff, was the solid historical context; Allende paints a vivid picture of the gold rush boom towns as well as the chaos of San Francisco and the rapidly growing Sacramento.

Multimedia:

Christian Perspectives: While I love the historical context of the novel, many of the themes are not appropriate for young people, and some might say not for Christians at all. Early on in the book, Eliza becomes pregnant out of wedlock; later it is revealed that she herself is an illegitimate child. Perhaps most dissatisfying of all is the conclusion of the novel in which she chooses a somewhat alternative lifestyle. Again, I don't feel that this detracts significantly from the novel as a whole; it is a wonderful story told in a wonderful style with just a few objectionable moments.