A Long Petal of the Sea

This book by Isabel Allende is set in the late 1930's when civil war grips Spain.  When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee on a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border.  Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow and Victor Dalmau, an army doctor.  In order to survive the two marry, something the two initially did not want.

After a harrowing experience in France, Roser, Victor and thousands of other refugees go to Chile on the SS Winnipeg, a ship chartered by the poet Pablo Neruda.  Over the course of their lives they face trial after trial as they wait patiently for the time when they can return to their beloved Spain.

The majority of the group enjoyed the book.  For some it was a real learning curve being immersed in a period of time only known about superficially before.  Allende's writing brought to life the grim reality, the gruesomeness and horrors of war and the plight of refugees.

A few of the group didn't really enjoy the book, but agreed that they learned a lot.  There were lots of characters in the story and it was sometimes hard to remember the way they were linked together.

Someone pointed out that in fact the book could be split into two with one telling the story of families living through the war and the second a factual account of what was happening politically.

Some would recommend the book to others, but choose the recipient carefully.

Review by Dorothy Ivatt