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A Long Petal of the Sea

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
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Publisher's Summary

Bloomsbury presents A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende, read by Edoardo Ballerini.

Sometimes, the difficult thing is not to flee but to return. A love letter to Chile that soars from the Spanish Civil War to the rise and fall of Pinochet, and a stunning return to great storytelling heights, A Long Petal of the Sea is the much-awaited new novel from literary legend Isabel Allende.

September 3, 1939, the day of the Spanish exiles’ splendid arrival in Chile, the Second World War broke out in Europe.

Victor Dalmau is a young doctor when he is caught up in the Spanish Civil War, a tragedy that leaves his life - and the fate of his country - forever changed. Together with his sister-in-law, the pianist Roser Bruguera, he is forced out of his beloved Barcelona and into exile.

When opportunity to seek refuge in Chile arises, they take it, boarding a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda to the promised ‘long petal of sea and wine and snow’ over the seas. There, they find themselves enmeshed in a rich web of characters who come together in love and tragedy over the course of four generations, destined to witness the battle between freedom and repression as it plays out across the world. A masterful work of historical fiction about hope, exile and belonging, A Long Petal of the Sea is Isabel Allende at the height of her powers.

©2020 Isabel Allende (P)2020 Penguin Random House Audio

Critic Reviews

"Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity." (New York Times)

"Isabel Allende is a grand story teller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago. She will be celebrated, by readers and writers alike, for generations to come." (Khaled Hosseini)

"Allende marries the fictional and the historical in lush, sprawling epics. A Long Petal of the Sea takes its place in the unparalleled canon she has created, exploring the sacrifices we make for the sake of those we love, and the love we sacrifice for the sake of our families." (Jodi Picoult)

What listeners say about A Long Petal of the Sea

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It’s okay

It took me a while to get into the storyline….the narration was pretty depressing but I in the guess it is a story that we can all relate to, with life’s ups and downs.

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  • Overall
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Had my Attention from Start to Finish

Isabella Allende always creates an engrossing story of Love, Loss and hope mixed in with Historical lessons... enjoyed this completely.

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A good historical account

I struggled to stay focused with this book. It became too much like a list of historical facts with not enough storyline. I didn't know much about the Spanish Civil War and Chile's political history so I did learn a lot.

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Never disappoints

This author never disappoints me. I love her passion and history of telling her story. Thank you.

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long

very long, drawn out. tried to keep interested despite slow narration but couldnt get passed 3rd chapter.

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