Publication date 6th May 2025: thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the early copy!

It's been a while since I read a book by Isabelle Allende (pre-GoodReads come to think of it!), and it took a little while for me to settle into the style of this, but I ended up loving it.

My Name is Emilia del Valle is the story of Emilia, a girl brought up in San Fransisco in the 1890s after her wealthy Chilean father abandons her mother Molly Walsh, a nun, before Emilia is even born. Molly is filled with bitterness and wants revenge, giving her daughter her true father's name in the hope of some inheritance to come... However, she remarries and Emilia is brought up by the man she regards as her true father, Don Pancho Claro: an enlightened, optimistic scholar who encourages Emilia to look beyond the confines of her gender and station, to pursue her true goals in life.

She begins by writing 'dime novels' at seventeen - formulaic, sensationalist, cheap novels published in both Spanish and English - under the pseudonym of Brandon J Price, as a woman writing such melodrama was deemed inappropriate. From this starting point, she becomes a journalist, first travelling to New York, and eventually to Chile, where the novel really begins.

I found it quite a slow read up to this point, but in Chile, Allende writes with simultaneous ease and intense emotion of her home country. Emilia is sent to cover the civil war in Chile, where at least 10,000 men were killed; her longing for adventure is over sated, as she places herself at the centre of the action. The conditions are harsh, merciless - it makes for quite difficult reading. Details are not spared. Emilia, once squeamish about the sight of blood, is changed utterly. She travels with the other foreign correspondent for the newspaper, Eric Whelan, and their relationship evolves as the brutality of war surrounds them. By the age of twenty-five, Emilia experiences so much pain, sees the depravity of human nature, and experiences it it first hand. She is no longer the girl brought up looking after her younger brothers and teaching at her father's school, and her adventurous spirit won't let her stop travelling...

The characters feel very real, although some points are quite detached. The Chilean Civil War is not something I knew about before, but I found myself looking up the places, the dates, the people... it's all real. It really reads like a memoir; some people have criticised it for this, but I found apt for the story Allende wanted to tell.

A fascinating history lesson, an unconventional romance, a coming-of-age story, an examination of ways women can push at the boundaries of expectations - this novel is beautiful. The ending wasn't quite satisfying for me (I might have preferred a more open ending), and the beginning was slow, but it's definitely worth reading. 4.5 stars.

This is a captivating tale of self-discovery, redemption and ultimately, love. Isabel Allende has done it again - this upcoming book shows how the literary legend has managed to write another powerful tale about an ambitious young woman navigating challenges and reinventing herself along the way.

Emilia del Valle is the main character of the book, and I initially thought it was kind of strange for how obvious it is although it subsequently came to me why that has to be the case. The tale is set in 19th century San Francisco and it begins with how her Chilean aristocrat father abandons her mum before she is even born. Emilia finds the father figure in her kind stepfather, whom her mother subsequently marries, and he encourages her to pursue her dream to become a writer when she grows up.

Emilia initially starts writing under a male pseudonym, and when an opportunity arises for a reporter to go to Chile, her biological father's homeland, she signs up for it and her contract allows her to write under her real name (hence, the title). Along with her partner in the mission, Eric Whelan, she finds herself in dangerous situations due to the social and political upheaval in Chile at the time. The rest of the book then narrates her journey, as well as how she explores her root, and grows as a person and finds herself.

I enjoyed reading this book, for Allende's storytelling gift and how it’s written in the first person narrative style. Definitely a quick read for me

This is an absolutely brilliant read which follows the life of Emilia a young illegitimate woman living in the times were women were expected to be submissive.but this did not fit in with her ambitions as a budding writer..
Her career in writing started young writing penny dreadfuls under the guise of a man.
Not satisfied she aimed higher to be a female reporter fora newspaper and whilst fulfilling this role was sent to Chile to cover the civil war that is raging there.
Brilliantly written this is a historical lesson into the Chilean war with no bars held
It is a story of love and war but more importantly Emilia,s journey to find who she is and become a woman

An immersive story that I couldn't wait to get back into each night. I enjoyed following Emilia De Valle's story and the writing was incredible as always. My only disappointment was the ending when she waited for Eric to come - it didn't feel true to her nature but it was a minor thing and didn't detract from the story.

Thanks net galley for allowing me to read this absolutely wonderful,story, and thank Isabel Allende for another great book. I have read all her books and this one did not dissapoint me it was just as great.
Emilia was born out of wedlock by her mother Molly Walsh, who fell in love with a Chilean wealthy man who left her.
Molly had every intention of being a nun, but obviously that was out of the question now so she bought up Emilia with a teacher whom she had met.
He loved Emilia as if she was his own, and taught her to be an intelligent curious and adventurous woman who could achieve everything she wanted to be.
Emilia wanted to be a journalist which was unheard of , woman just did not do that job, but Emilia never gave up and was offered a job to cover the civil war in Chile with another reporter.
Their Emilia came into her own, and tried to succeed and do all the things she was destined to,do.
Was sorry when I finished this book, and hope there will be another one soon.

My Name is Emilia del Valle is the latest release from Isabel Allendeand it iis the powerful story of one woman's determination and ambition as she strives to find her way in the world. Emilia has someting of an unorthodox upbringing as the daughter of a Chilean aristocrat and a postulant nun. Abandoned by her lover, Emilia's mother is forced to come clean at the convent. She marries a kindly local teacher who promises to raise the baby as his own and so Emilia has a happy childhood in eeighteenth century San Francisco. She is bright and ambitious and in many ways ahead o her time, becoming a popular author of pulp novels under a male pen name before working her way into a role as columnist for the Daily Examiner. There she uses her Chilean heritage to get herself assigned to cover the civil unrest brewing in that country. Once there she not only finds a family and heritage, she finds herself embroiled in the struggle.
This is a powerful story and has a main character that it is very easy to root for, she is practically the definition of a plucky heroine. Once again the author's love for her native land shines through and her descriptions of Val Pariso and various other parts of the country were both vivid and striking and immediately took me back to my visit to the country years ago. In some ways the storytelling felt familiar, fans of the author will know what to expect and will not be disappointed. The writing is beautiful of course and some of the passages describing the war were harrowing, really bringing to life the horror and senselessness of it all, and highlighting the role that women played, something that I had never really known about before.
Another triumph from Allende.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This is another one of Allende’s books featuring a strong woman. The story – in terms of narration and setting – feels strangely familiar, since it follows a similar pattern as so many of Allende’s other novels. As always, she tells a meandering tale based on historical events with a bit of magical realism thrown in.

Our heroine, Emilia del Valle, is of Irish and Chilean decent. Her mother came to San Francisco as an immigrant fleeing the potato famine, where she met Emilia’s father, a handsome ne’er-do-well, who promptly left her penniless and with child. This child, Emilia, grows into a fiercely independent young woman, who manages to secure herself a job as an editorial journalist, which in the 19th century was a job solely reserved for and protected by men. When she persuades her editor-in-chief to send her to Chile as war correspondent to report on the outbreak and developments of the civil war, her real adventure begins.

She gets deeply drawn into this war and her journey of discovery and self-discovery entails her search for her father and family origins as much as a love story and the close – almost intimate - experience of the horrors and cruelty of war.

All in all, a story containing many others, all worth telling and mostly well told. My reading experience got just slightly marred by Allende’s drive to get a point across, which occasionally results in commonplace sentiments and stilted dialogues, which however does not take anything away from Allende’s gifted story-telling.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I absolutely love this author and this was an absolute treat
I feel very privileged to be able to read this

I got totally lost in the story
Highly recommend

I was looking forward to this book. The synopsis sounded intriguing, so I was excited to get stuck. The writing was fluent but overly descriptive, which at times, made me want to skip on. I never took to the characters. The story is set in 1890, and I felt the characters were too modern for the time. Emilia, the main character, had too much freedom even for an adventurous woman of the time, which made the story rather implausible for me. She travelled alone to remote places and easily got meetings with high-ranking men. For me, this felt unrealistic. The descriptions of the war were graphic and believable, though.
Her descriptions of Chile were very good, but for me, there wasn't enough focus on the storyline for me to really enjoy the book.

Told with all the flair and intrigue that the author never fails to provide, I loved the wonderful independent heroine of the title. The writing is full of joy and beauty, following the progress through life of one of Allende’s most compelling characters, a woman whose journey through life is full of passion and bravery. She manages to combine the personal and historical in Emilia’s life, uninhibited by the expectations of society in 19th century San Francisco and Chile, covering the latter’s chequered history of war and repression, amidst a landscape of staggering beauty, still unspoilt in places.

Another brilliant book from Isabel Allende - I've enjoyed every one I've read so far. This one is no exception, with its taut writing (and excellent translation), as well as a story and characters that you can't help but care about.

Emilia is a product of seduction of a novice nun by a chilian seducer.. Her mother however marries an older Schoolteacher who takes Emilia as his own and teaches her everything he knows.
However Emilia yearns to be a journalist.
As a woman in 19th century San Francisco that is not easy. After persevering she is given the job of a features writer who is then sent to Chili with her colleague and best friend Eric to cover the Civil War.
There she is faced with atrocities she never wished to see. She infact get caught up on the wrong side and is thrown in jail.
Her story doesn't end there, so read it. A great read.

I have read a number of books by Isabel Allende and always enjoy them. They are beautifully written adventures and I always learn something . I know very little about Chile but what struck me is that history keeps on repeating with wars being fought still over minerals. I confess to skipping some text that was a bit long winded but in the main this was enjoyable.

There's no doubt - and no surprise - that this is a brilliantly written book in terms of creative writing craft. It's also an excellent example of fiction-as-research. My three star review is not a reflection of the quality of the writing in any way, more a reflection of my reaction to it as a reader. I know, and agree that, Isabel Allende is a first class writer, but for whatever reason, I couldn't get into this novel as I wanted to. The plot is enticing, and the character promises to be compelling, but I found it a slog. As I say, more about me, and my reading preferences, than the novel itself. If you like historical fiction, and you're impressed with what must be particular and accurate research, then this is for you. My grateful thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC.

Another glorious epic from Isabel Allende, taking our protagonist from California and across Chile, from cities to fields of war to the incredible uninhabited land, set against the backdrop of the Chilean Civil War

Isabel Allende is a wonderful writer who always writes the most beautiful and evocative stories and My Name is Emilia del Valle completely lives up to that.

An effortlessly elegant exploration of historical aspects of San Francisco and Chile that are charming to read and help understand the characters in context of their situation, this is pure Allende.

Emilia del Valle leads a complicated life for a young woman in 1890s San Francisco. Having had commercial success as a crime writer under a male pseudonym, she gets involved in journalism, initially in disguise but eventually writing under her own name as she covers the war in Chile. Along the way she falls in love, is injured on the battlefield, and reconciles with her biological father before his untimely death.

It is all a rollicking adventure, well-told and coming towards the end to a magical reality that is credible and you are ready to believe in. I will never tire of reading these stories by Allende, they are vital and alive and have so much to say about life and love.

4 - 5 stars rounded up.
Emilia del Valle doesn’t have the most auspicious start in life when her wealthy Chilean father abandons her mother, Molly Walsh, before she is even born. However, when Molly marries, Emilia regards her stepfather as her true father. He encourages her with her desire to write, starting first with dime novels, published under the name of Brandon Price which she continues to use. Emilia persuades Mr. Chamberlain at The Examiner in San Francisco to take her her on as a journalist and she is able to prove herself. She’s offered the chance in 1891 to go to Chile where Civil War is brewing. This serves a dual purpose, it fulfils her enormous sense of adventure and will give her the chance to trace her birth father. She is to travel with fellow journalist Eric Whelan who has proved to be a good friend. What is Emilia heading into? Will she be able to pursue her journalistic dreams and in addition, discover the truth about Gonzalo Andres del Valle?

I’ve been a huge fan of Isabel Allende since I read The House of the Spirits years ago and she never fails to captivate me with her beautiful, descriptive writing. What an amazing character she has created in Emilia del Valle who tells her story in what has the feel of a memoir. I love her bold and brave spirit, that she is undaunted especially in this awful civil war she is reporting on. She’s a very independent woman, ahead of her time and she dares to be adventurous so that she can get to know Chile especially the more remote parts. Inevitably at times in this troubled political climate, there are occasions when she is extremely vulnerable but equally, it seems to bring out the best in her as she has such inner strength.

The part of Chilean history that this novel is set in has been very well researched and the author presents a fair and balanced story as the people of this beautiful country tear themselves apart again. In places the narrative of the civil war is brutal especially at the Battle of Concon which changes everything including Emilia because here she really suffers. Although it’s harsh, it’s emotional and moving too, not just the realistic and intense war scenes but also in relation to Emilia’s family.

This is also a love letter to Chile as is often the case with Isabel Allende’s books. As Emilia heads on her journey of self discovery and to find her sense of place, the story telling heads into the more remote south of the country. On occasions, there’s a sort of otherworldly feel to the story telling which I love.

This is an engaging, engrossing and emotional read centring on a woman who is ahead of her time. It shines a spotlight on another tragic part of Chilean history, on its society and its social mores as well as its heritage. There’s a wonderful sense of time and place, some descriptions that are almost poetic at times and it’s a superb translation from the original Spanish. If you love Isabel Allende then this is a must read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Bloomsbury Press for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

I do love Isabel Allende's books and this was no exception. Her writing is so descriptive and beautiful and I knew nothing about this era in Chile's history so it was fascinating. Allende really brought to life both the horrors of war and the beauty of Chile. I found Emilia a great character and enjoyed the diary style of the book, there were moments of implausibly and I also found the ending a little rushed which was a shame after the pages of detailed writing which went before. Overall however I thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.

I have to say I’m biased; my mother was born in Tierra del Fuego and I have Chilean relatives I’ve never met. I devour anything and everything written by Allende as she is exceptional in capturing that faded colonial elegance of fin de siècle Chile along with the reality of life for the majority. I’ve never visited the country but I enjoy any story with Chile as a backdrop and this is one of the best. Allende is such a descriptive writer. She captures people and places to a point where they are almost tangible and Emilia, in this story is a powerful independent woman on a mission. Most know little about Chilean history and again, Allende is skilled at mixing fact and fiction so that they’re almost one. This is a powerful story, totally immersive and I was captivated from start to finish. Absolutely brilliant.