“VIOLETA,” BY ISABEL ALLENDE

Ms. Allende’s latest novel, “Violeta,” is in many respects a retelling of a history that she has covered in previous books, such as the brutal military dictatorship in Chile, and the discovery of a cave where the bones and clothing of missing people killed by the police are buried.

Violeta, the main character in the story, retells her life story to her grandson, Camilo, in letters that cover a life of one hundred years. Born during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu in her country in 1920 and right up to her one hundredth birthday and the outbreak of the covid-19 virus in 2020.

The novel covers many of the great historical moments of the 20th century, such as the Great Depression, World War 2, the revolution in Cuba, the covert operations of the CIA throughout Latin America and South America, the Mafia’s involvement in Cuba and Miami, and the slow but torturing human rights struggle of women around the world.

But in the end, it is Ms. Allende’s storytelling and her development of great characters that make this novel such a marvelous read.