For those who do not know, Isabel Allende is a big frickin’ deal for Chilean literature and it shows. I have read a few of her books and her way of writing is mesmerizing because she is able to combine history, romance, and adventure without making it lewd yet adult, I would say adult with class, as well as writing your female main character as one who is historically realistic yet has a personality that relates to women now, such as having a strong sense of will and honesty.
That was the same principle for Portrait in Sepia. which is a sequel to Daughter of Fortune. It follows the same family, but skips a generation. I had read Daughter of Fortune before and had really enjoyed it. It follows the same non-traditional love story where everything works, in fact everything wrong happens, but it was about finding the things that truly made you happy and not what you thought you needed, which is something that should be said repeatedly in this day and age.
This also has a special place in my heart because of the relationship Aurora had with her grandfather and her realizing over time that there were and are people in her life that genuinely love(d) and care(d) for her, that she is capable of things, and that the only person that she needs approval from is herself. That is a beautiful thing.
I would read this again. I believe Allende has another book that follows the same family used for Daughter of Fortune and Portrait in Sepia called Ines of my Soul. I feel like I had read it, but I don’t remember to be honest.
Portrait in Sepia is available here where I’m sure you’d be able to find more of Allende’s books.
9/10
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