Trip Fiction: A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

This is the book I chose to read as we sailed from Lima to San Antonio. I’ve loved Allende since I first read Eva Luna decades ago. She has always been a master storyteller. The title of this book comes from a Pablo Neruda poem, where he describes Chile as "a long petal of sea and wine and snow/ with a belt of black and white foam". Spot on. The story follows the paths of Roser and Victor, two young people thrown together by the violence of the Spanish Civil War. They flee onboard a Cargo ship to Chile. Interestingly, in real life it was Neruda himself who arranged for 2,000 political refugees to be brought from Spain to Chile onboard this ship, the SS Winnipeg. The story follows our couple over decades as they experience the cultural and political struggles of an evolving country. It’s a thought provoking read; making me think not just about the impact on Chile but also the parallels in other times and places, our own included.

I loved this quote: “That comrade of yours is too naïve by half. Chile is divided into irreconcilable groups, son. Friends are fighting, families are split down the middle; it’s impossible to talk to anyone who doesn’t think as you do. I don’t see many of my old friends anymore so that we won’t fight.” Remind you of anything?

The way Chile’s history and natural beauty are illustrated through the struggles and adventures of these two characters is really brilliant. I especially loved reading this book as I was sitting immersed in the very landscapes that were being described. If you’re heading to Chile this is perfect pairing of location and story.

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Have you read this book? Love it/hated it? Read other good books set in Ecuador or have fun travel/fiction stories from there? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below