Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende

[Kathleen]

This is the thread for the September 2022 read of Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende.

Portrait is the second book in the trilogy, between Daughter of Fortune and The House of the Spirits. It's been a while since I read the first, and even longer since I read the second, but I'm jumping in anyway, so please join in even if you haven't read the others!

[Cynda]

Long ago way back when I read The House of the Spirits but not Daughter of Fortune or Portrait in Sepia which were published later.

I will make effort to read Daughter of Fortune this month.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I've read both The House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune. So I am ready to read this one with you.

[Kathleen]

I'm so glad you'll be with us, Katy!

Cynda, I wouldn't worry too much about squeezing Daughter of Fortune in. I started with The House of the Spirits too. Maybe there's something to be said for reading them backwards. :-)

[Cynda]

Okay Kathleen. I will follow your example as I am so book-busy. I will read Portrait by itself for our buddy read. If we need to read Sepia, then we will read too!

[Cynda]

Katy we haven't read together in some time. . . Looking forward :)

[Carolien]

Turns out my library has a copy, so will join like Cynda without reading the first.

[Kathleen]

That's great, Carolien! And I have a feeling each of these would work fine on their own.

[Kathleen]

Has anyone started this yet?

I just started this morning. At first I was disappointed there were no chapter breaks (something that always bugs me), but I got over it. Part One is very meaty, so I'm taking my time with it.

[Cynda]

I listened to Part 1 last night. When I can, I often like to listen & to listen and read. At first I planned to read from library copy, but the family tree on inside cover was covered up and and the cover taped down. So I am reading at Scribd and listening on Hoopla. (On 21st the audiobook will be available on Scribd.)

[Cynda]

In the audiobook version, Isabella Allende introduced her book, saying it was not necessary to read Daughter of Fortune. I agree. Not necessary at all. Allende promised to fill in gaps, and she has. That's the assurance for Carolien.

Yet I am glad that I did make the time to read Daughter of Fortune. Only because it helped me to become comfortable with listening faster, rather than studying and committing to memory so much. That is the only advantage to having recently read the previous novel.

[Kathleen]

Yes, I think you're right, Cynda. I have forgotten much of Daughter of Fortune, so am taking my time flipping back and forth to the family tree, thinking about this family and how everyone is connected.

I can't believe they covered up the page with the family tree in your library copy! Glad you found it elsewhere.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I read The House of the Spirits first, and then Daughter of Fortune. So I am not reading these in any specific order.

[Cynda]

about Chiliean and Argentinean war.
The brutal medical scenes were improved medical scenes due to the military experience of what happened in Crimean War. Remember Crimean War was were Florence Nightingale cleaned and organized hospitals. So there was improved cleanliness as can be seen in how the Crimean surgeon makes attempt to sterilize surgical instruments by using alcohol.

[Carolien]

Waiting for it to arrive from the library. Hope it arrives mid-month at the latest.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

I am midway in Part I. I love the gentle reminder (with additional story) about what happen in Daughter of Fortune. This is not just a rehash of a previous book, but the uncovering of the family history.

I love Allende's writing (or at least the translation I am reading). Someday I will do a reread in the original Spanish.

[Cynda]

I have finished the novel. Here Allende is somewhat like Dickens in that she describes various aspects of society. Here Allende describes the hispanic New World and shows how fluid is culture. Here we encounter descendents of the conquistadors of whose Spanish and food choices vary from cousins in Spain, an English family that also speaks Spanish, the indigenous who speak Spanish, and Chinese who live in California and must learn something of other local cultures in order to survive. I love the daughter who is somewhat tri-lingual.

[Kathleen]

I'm almost done with Part 1, and completely agree with you, Katy. I love the way she weaves all of this background together, and I'm already smitten with the story.

Interesting comparison with Dickens, Cynda--I can see that. But the layers of culture here make it very special.

[Cynda]

In addition to the theme of hispanic world that runs throughout, so does art. Art of Medicine. Fine Art. Art of Photography.

Some thoughts about the title. (view spoiler)[The photographer Don Juan Ribero taught Aurora/Lai Ming that there can be be no light without shadow, a good maxim when one is learning how to photograph with black and white film. The old photographer ad limited sight which in literary works indicates things like perceptions, understandings. Yet Aurora seems to have different sight capabilities. She sees in tones of brown,.green and gray of sepia.> (hide spoiler)] This seems to Kathleen's mention of layers.

[Kathleen]

I'll hold off on your spoiler for now, Cynda. :-)

I finished Part One, and love the way these different cultures are meeting in California. Lynn was a bit of a frustrating character--(view spoiler)[pretty flat, and maybe fictionally destined to die young. (hide spoiler)] But the other characters are jumping off the page for me. I love Allende's characters--so full of emotion, sometimes suppressed, sometimes channeled in a dangerous direction.

This is definitely a page-turner, and I can see why you finished so fast, Cynda. I have little reading time at the moment, so it may take me a while, but it's the kind that I'll pick up when I have a few spare moments to squeeze in a page!

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

And I'm on to reading Part 2 now.

[Kathleen]

I'm mid-way through part two, and am glad we are reading this during Hispanic Heritage month (thanks for suggesting, Cynda). I'm learning so much I didn't know about the wars, and I love the way Allende tells history--it's full of details and passion and everyday life.

[Cynda]

My pleasure Kathleen. Glad we are able to read and discuss together. . . .

About a bakery
(view spoiler)[I want to step into Eliza's bakery. I am thinking that thus bakery has a Chilean vibe. In that case, it might be called pandadería (place of bread) or maybe even more likely pastelería (places of pastries). Sure Eliza lives and works in Chinatown, but doesn't she dress merge the Chilean, Californian, and Asian??? I would like to think that Eliza fuses Chilean, Californian,and Asian food ways. This is not a 21st century practice, though is a 21st-century word-concept. (hide spoiler)]

[Kathleen]

Cynda (on semi-hiatus) wrote: "My pleasure Kathleen. Glad we are able to read and discuss together. . . .

About a bakery
[spoilers removed]"

That sounds lovely, Cynda! But I think it may, once in a while, be a 21st century practice after all:
https://chilelindo.com/

Making a note to go here next time I'm in San Francisco!

[Cynda]

Me too Kathleen :-) Yea to Chinese food merging with hispanic food!

These are the Borderlands were culture merge. We can see it in the pastries called pan dulce which means sweet bread. One common example is the recipe for the gingerbread here shaped as pigs probably comes from the sharing of recipes of hispanic and French settlers. Here at The Czech-Mex a popular downtown lunchstop there is something of a merging of traditions. The variety of cookies have European/Czech recipe dough but are oversized in the way of Mexican pan dulce. The sandwhiches are Czech/European topped by fresh local produce, and kolaches may be the only authentic Czech item on the menu. My father who worked downtown for many years said there used to be more variety when downtown was a busier place.

[Cynda]

History of Pan Dulce

http://www.dealbabakery.com/other/his...

[Kathleen]

Oh, that is so fun, Cynda! I loved seeing the gingerbread pigs after reading the history and your comment.

These blendings sound wonderful, but I'm also for maintaining access to the pure original versions--wouldn't want them to get lost.

[Kathleen]

I've finished, and really enjoyed it, though it isn't my favorite of the trilogy.

It's hard to discuss this, since there aren't chapters! I did want to mention two scenes I really liked:

In section two, when (view spoiler)[Amanda Lowell arrives with Matias at Paulina's, and they share that moment of laughter and accept each other, despite the past. I loved that they just started cracking up. Very realistic. (hide spoiler)]

And toward the end, it was very satisfying when Aurora said (view spoiler)[“If I found he had betrayed me--may God forbid--as happened with Diego Dominguez, I would not drown myself in tears as I did then, I would kill him without a moment’s remorse.” (hide spoiler)] :-)

Looking forward to others' thoughts when you finish!

[Cynda]

After reading several of Allende's novels, I have come to understand the worlds she creates as places of interconnection. Here in Portrait in Sepia:

* The variety of ethnicities that inform New World hispanidad (the condition of hispanic)/the New World hispanic culture. Spanish, indigenous, Chinese, English. Even though the Chinese in jthiss story are not really really yet part of hispanic culture, in Chile they seem to be much more so. In the 1990s a Chinese or Chinese by ancestory was elected president of Chile.

* The varities of medicines practiced. The tradition/practice of idigenous medicine is as old as the idigenous culture, maybe orginating 10,000 or more years ago. The tradition/practice of Chinese medicine goes back 5,000 years. The tradition of scientific Western medicine goes back several centuries, maybe since late 17th century.

We in our increasing wisdom know to borrow from various traditions --after we check with the medical providers we best trust.

[Katy, Quarterly Long Reads]

Just finished tonight. Loved it.

[Kathleen]

Cynda (on semi-hiatus) wrote: "After reading several of Allende's novels, I have come to understand the worlds she creates as places of interconnection. Here in Portrait in Sepia:

* The variety of ethnicities that inform New W..."

Excellent point, Cynda. I love Allende's interconnections.

I wasn't aware of the Chinese influence in Chile, but it makes sense that may have piqued Allende's interest.

I visited an herbal shop and doctor in San Francisco's Chinatown with a friend. It was fascinating. The doctor listened, observed him closely, felt his pulse, and noted the herbal recommendations in Chinese characters on a small piece of paper. Then following the notes, an assistant took scoops of herbs from an amazing wall of little drawers that looked like the old library catalog card drawers. The herbs were wrapped in paper and put in small paper sacks. I don't recall if they helped, but he did say they tasted terrible. :-) I'll never forget the experience though.

[Kathleen]

Katy wrote: "Just finished tonight. Loved it."

Ah, I'm so glad, Katy! Allende never disappoints.

[Cynda]

I practiced yoga for most of 10 years and Tai.Chi for a few months. In both practices, but Tai Chi more, we practiced Qigong/Chi Gung which is a derivative of Chinese and Tibetan acupuncture--without any needles--just intentional movement of energy.

I always felt better after these classes.

[Cynda]

Question.

Does anyone know/remember name of English doctor that Tao Chi’en both learns from and teaches?

[Kathleen]

Cynda (on semi-hiatus) wrote: "Question.

Does anyone know/remember name of English doctor that Tao Chi’en both learns from and teaches?"

I don't, and did a quick look, but couldn't find it. I'll look more closely over the weekend. :-)

[Cynda]

Thanks Kathleen for that! I have written my review now and am okay with it. Maybe someday I will reread and edit the review, but for now I am good :-)

[Kathleen]

Cynda wrote: "Thanks Kathleen for that! I have written my review now and am okay with it. Maybe someday I will reread and edit the review, but for now I am good :-)"

I'm glad, Cynda, because I looked a little closer and still didn't find it. We'll catch it on the re-read! ;-) Wonderful review!

[Cynda]

Thanks my friend. As usual, I have enjoyed our read and learned new things/made new connections when we read together. . . .Thanks for sharing about a more recent San Francisco!