Daughter of Fortune: A Novel (P.S.) | 
|  | | | Title: | Daughter of Fortune: A Novel (P.S.) | | Author: | Isabel Allende | | Publisher: | Harper Perennial | | Type: | Book / Paperback | | Publication Date: | 01 May, 2006 | | ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0061120251 / 9780061120251 | | List Price: | $14.95 | | You Save: | $4.78 | | Amazon Price: | $10.17 | |
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| Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
An orphan raised in Valparaíso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. She enters a rough-and-tumble world whose newly arrived inhabitants are driven mad by gold fever. With the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en, Eliza moves freely in a society of single men and prostitutes, creating an unconventional but independent life for herself. The young Chilean's search for her elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of journey, and by the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide who her true love really is.
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Customer Reviews:
• Too Much Narrative..too Little Coversation 31 August, 2008
This was more like a biography, but about somebody that did not really exist. The author narrates almost the entire book. You can read four pages before you find anything at all in quotation marks. For those that like to feel like they are a part of the story and times, that you are actually there, this is not a book for you. I could not get into it at all due the writing style. The author also tends to go on and on about characters and events completely irrelevent to the actual heroine. I was excited about reading this book and was very sad that I could not enjoy it. Was literally blah blah blah.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3THYM7XMB8B0U
• I Was Robbed! The Ending Left Me Hanging. 21 August, 2008
*SEMI-SPOILER ALERT*
Eliza Sommers grew up in Chile and was adopted into a family that is all about secrets... a LOT of secrets, btw. She ends up "falling in love" with a moody young fellow named Joaquin and ends up following him to California during the gold rush. (why is beyond me! i didn't buy into that part much).
I found the description of California during the gold rush to be quite fascinating, though. I really enjoyed that part of the book. I think that Ms. Allende has a gift in describing historical settings. I felt like I could really imagine what it was like during that time period. I also thought that her take on it was different than what I learned growing up and found that interesting as well. Ms. Allende weaved the plot together with great sights, sounds and smells.
I go back and forth about giving this 2-stars vs. 3-stars. But I'm so mad at the ending of this book that I'm only giving it 2 stars. It left me hanging with too many unanswered questions. I know some people really liked the ending, but for me - it irked. I keep thinking about the book, too, and wondering how the characters reacted to one another after the big surprise ending.
I also thought that Eliza's story living on the road was WAY too long. I really wanted to know more about her and Tao, her Chilean family and how that all ended. It made me mad that Eliza obsessed over Joaquin for so long and that a large part of the book was about her obsession. Yes, some girls really do obsess over their first love for unknown reasons... but to read that much of a book about it bugged.
What about her and Tao?? Why were we left hanging there with him? We never got to see them together in the present. Ugh. I'm still mad that I gave 3 nights away to read this and have it end the way it did. I thought for sure it wouldn't end right then. What happens with her aunt? Does Eliza find out about her true identity? How does she react?
I much prefer Ms. Allende's "Inez of My Soul."
- Reviewed by customer ID: A39DBKL4WVB5DE
• Isabel Is In A New Groove, And I Love It 06 August, 2008
As she moves away from the magic realism of her first works, Daughter of Fortune, as well as Ines of My Soul: A Novel prove to be some of the most compelling writing of the past few years. I loved the magic of Eva Luna and others, but Allende's new 'literary creative historic realism' strikes me even stronger. Daughter of Fortune brings a side of the history of the California Gold Rush that few others have portrayed. The plot, the setting, the writing, I read this book through a long afternoon last week and it seeped into my dreams that night, and it still hasn't left me and I want more.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A21G0HPDEIEII1
• Another Masterpiece From Allende 16 August, 2008
I read one of Isabel Allende's novels for a high school English class, and I never imagined that she would become one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is so detailed and engrossing that you cannot help but feel completely immersed in the world she has created. The characters are so dynamic and easy to relate to as Allende details their struggles and emotions with expertly chosen words and phrases.
This book captivated me because the storyline is fiction without the cheese factor and history without the bore factor. I loved watching Eliza Sommers develop from an innocent yet immature child to an experienced adult. This theme is fairly typical of novels, but the way Allende does it is completely atypical. Tao Ch'ien is difficult not to fall completely in love with, and you can't help but pity Joaquin Andieta and his foolish ideals. Even the minor characters are given their backgrounds and their own limelight.
If you like any of Allende's other novels, this is highly recommended.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A15GE6MJH75CNO
• Definitely Worth Reading! 28 August, 2008
I had previously read The Stories of Eva Luna and wanted to try another Allende book. I love her writing style. In Daughter of Fortune, the end dragged a bit and maybe she should have dropped a character or two. I also never really felt the love between the main character and the person with whom she ended up. Maybe there are a few more loose ends that could have been tied up as well, but I don't want to put any spoilers. Considering these minor details, this is truly a great read! I love how she writes historical fact into the novel and transcends the reader to another time with a modern mind.
- Reviewed by customer ID: A3GORHOV292O0W
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