Novel, PLAZA & JANÉS, (May 2019)
In August 1939, Pablo Neruda organized the departure of the Winnipeg, the legendary ship that sailed from France to Chile with two thousand Spanish refugees aboard, fleeing the brutal repression of the Franco regime.
Based on that historical event, which Pablo Neruda would remember as “his most beautiful poem,” Isabel Allende tells the gripping tale of a pregnant pianist and a doctor forced to leave a besieged Barcelona. They both seek a second chance in exile, in a remote country where they can start from scratch. To board the Winnipeg, Roser and Víctor must prove they’re a married couple, so they marry for convenience. Under the guise of a conventional family, they settle in Chile, where they find a promising future. However, the threat of a new dictatorship will foil their plans.
A Long Petal of Sea tells the touching love story of a couple forced to survive some of the most turbulent events of the 20thcentury. Throughout the book, we encounter historical figures such as Pablo Neruda, Salvador Allende, and Elisabeth Eidenbenz. Inspired by historical events she herself experienced first-hand, Isabel Allende offers an emotional exploration of the sentimental bonds forged in prolonged exile, when you ask yourself whether your homeland is that mythical, irretrievable land of your youth, or that place where new, unbreakable affections take root.
“Allende is a unique and staggering storyteller with an enviable talent for intricate narratives.” The Boston Sunday Globe
“Allende is a genius.” Los Angeles Times Book Review