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Violeta

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
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Publisher's Summary

Bloomsbury presents Violeta by Isabel Allende, read by Yareli Arizmendi.

One extraordinary woman.

One hundred years of history.

One unforgettable story.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first daughter in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

In a letter to someone she loves above all others, Violeta recounts devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy, and a life shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics. Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination and sense of humour will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.

©2022 Isabel Allende (P)2022 Penguin Random House Audio
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Romance

Critic Reviews

"An icon of world literature." (Khaled Hosseini)

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

What listeners say about Violeta

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Quality authoring

Decided to read as I'd never read an Isabel Allende book. Can now see what all the fuss is about. Authentic and plausible. Particular strength of this book is the whole life view, warts and all, and celebrating all the stuff that happens in life and embracing it. I felt a better person, and a bit less constrained by my own ideas of propriety after reading this book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Worth a listen

I have to admit, this wasn’t my favourite Isabel Allende story but she still evoked her ability to make her characters come to life. Even though it’s not my favourite, I still enjoyed the story and found myself coming back to listen. I would recommend it. As always, I shed a few tears because Isabel never lets you get away unscathed!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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bigger than life

Allende is a master of intergenerational saga, and Violeta doesn't disappoint.
I loved this book immensely.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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One of the best books ever!

I wanted this story to go on forever. Totally transported into the world of Violeta.

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2 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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great story

loved this story. set accross the life of an interesting character. narration was a bit monotone at times.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enchanting

Heartwarming story of a century of life. Always inspiring, always inspirational - the humanity in her narratives touch hearts.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Violetta

A wonderful insight into the history of Chilean family through the eyes of a fierce female protagonist. Easy to follow, beautifully read; a great audio experience.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Totally absorbing

This is a beautifully read and immersive story. I loved Violetta, both the woman and the book, and I also found the depiction of Chile’s political history very moving.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Just Wonderful

This was a wonderful story set in Chile of a remarkable woman telling her life story to her grandson from the time of her birth to the end of her life. Beautifully written and narrated. I loved it

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

This book is a string of “And then this happened”

While the story is beautiful yet tragic, it is well researched and well placed at its various points in history. I believe the story is possibly better suited in its original language though, as I felt it had a run on effect of “and then this happened, and then this, and then this.” I suppose this is the risk you run at trying to contain a woman’s life within a novel.

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