Portrait in Sepia: A Novel (Involuntary Trilogy #2) [J0428]

2001 HCDJ in nice clean condition. Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden "Portrait in Sepia is the best book Allende has published in the United States since her first novel of nearly two decades ago, The House of the Spirits." -Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World. "Portrait in Sepia tightens the weave of a multigenerational fantasy as complete and inspiring as the real world it parallels ... Allende's enchanting historical universe keeps expanding and Portrait in Sepia is a new galactic jewel." -Chicago Tribune. A richly imagined historical novel about memory and family secrets from the New York Times bestselling author of Island Beneath the Sea, Inés of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, Zorro, and House of the Spirits. Recounted in the voice of a young woman in search of her roots, Portrait in Sepia is a novel about memory and family secrets. Aurora del Valle suffers a brutal trauma that shapes her character and erases from her mind all recollection of the first five years her life. Raised by her ambitious grandmother, the regal and commanding Paulina del Valle, Aurora grows up in a privileged environment, free of the limitations that circumscribe the lives of women at that time, but tormented by horrible nightmares. When she is forced to recognize her betrayal at the hands of the man she loves, and to cope with the resulting solitude, she decides to explore the mystery of her past.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "It was a well-written, interesting book. I was honestly hooked from the start and loved reading this generational tale that spanned a few countries."; "Oh how I love reading Allende’s work! The incredible characters that we get to know so intimately and uniquely, the cityscapes and landscapes, the intricate family saga intertwined throughout generations. Hers is the kind of writing that nourishes my literary soul."; "Beautifully written story about the amazing history of Chile and most importantly, about women in those times. Especially their discovery and desire for freedom. Thank you Isabel for a history lesson and strong women and their vulnerability through strength. I will never forget these female characters. "