June 2020 Fiction Group Read - A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

[Alannah]

Please discuss our winner here.

[Alannah]

I got the opportunity to read this book just before its release through netgalley.co.uk and I really enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing what others thought of it as well.

[LauraT]

I've read it one of the first book this year; I'll camoe and see what you think. A do Agree Alannah, I've liked it better that Allende's latest ones

[Joan]

2 hours into the audiobook - the narration is good, the story powerful. I can’t help but wonder at our cultural bias to treat woman & children as innocents during war - when really some of the foot soldiers are just as innocent - draftees forced into battle. And of course some women are zealous partisans.

[Joan]

Allende writes beautifully; I’m learning a lot of history. It’s horrifying how easily fascists can come to power.

[LauraT]

Joan wrote: "Allende writes beautifully; I’m learning a lot of history. It’s horrifying how easily fascists can come to power."

Trust me it was more than that...a nightmare

[Joan]

This book grabbed my mind, my heart and my guts — and twisted them. Allende weaves together many plot lines & themes but they all fit together so it’s not overwhelming or confusing.

Reading this I understand a bit better the personal side of living in a society that turns to authoritarian government. Ordinary people in Spain in the 1930’s and Chile in the 1970’s were tired of hardship and scared. Franco & Pinochet used the fear & confusion to justify martial law, fascism and oppression. And leaders of other countries (Germany, U.S. & U.S.S.R) callously encouraged the horror.

Today, bad actors use the social media to sow chaos, spread misinformation and undermine elections. Here in the U.S. at least one senator has called for our military to threaten our citizens.

Of course, there is a lot more to this novel - but her description of the collapse of 2 societies really affected me.

[Kelly]

I have to see if my library has a copy.

[Tamara]

I have put it on hold in the library. I'm somewhere around #89 in line. So I have miles to go.

[Joan]

Tamarah,
It will be worth the wait - it is a delicious novel.

[Tamara]

Joan wrote: "Tamara,
It will be worth the wait - it is a delicious novel."

Looking forward to it. Thanks.

[Colleen]

I enjoyed this also - but listened vs. reading so a bit different. I agree about learning this history and liking the characters. Very shocking time.