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Violeta cover art

Violeta

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Yareli Arizmendi
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Summary

Bloomsbury presents Violeta by Isabel Allende, read by Yareli Arizmendi.

One extraordinary woman.

One hundred years of history.

One unforgettable story.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first daughter in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father's prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses all and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

In a letter to someone she loves above all others, Violeta recounts devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, times of both poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy, and a life shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics. Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination and sense of humour will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional.

©2022 Isabel Allende (P)2022 Penguin Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"An icon of world literature." (Khaled Hosseini)

"Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity." (New York Times)

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What listeners say about Violeta

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  • Overall
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Heart warming

Beautiful life story. Up lifting and interesting fictional account of a life well lived. Well worth a listen. B

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautiful story

A tranquil, soft yet captivating enough story that made me want to go back and listen at every opportunity. Arizmendi reads with a pleasant and accepting voice- easy to listen and follow.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Unforgettable.

A powerful and absorbing book spanning a century in the life of one woman .History brought to life.
wonderful.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Mesmerising

Couldn’t stop listening to it .. enchanting , beautifully flowing and absorbing … loved every single words
Monica

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Just couldn’t maintain interest

Just couldn’t maintain interest I’m afraid. The delivery is boring to listen to. Not for me sadly.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, just beautiful

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in love, history, family or just loves a fictional book that sounds like an autobiography. Fell in love with every character and shed a tear for all of them throughout.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Not recommended.

Needed 1.2x since the pace was so slow. Seemed a contrived and too unlikely story telling method. Advertised as “fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional” but was none of that.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Brilliant

Excellent writing and narration. Cannot go wrong with Isabel Allende and Yareli is one of my favourite narrators

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Good but not as gripping as others by the author

Well written and narrated, thought I lost interest in the story about half way through. I have read many books by Allende and this one is perhaps my least favourite, it seems to drag on a bit.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

it was ok

I struggled to finish or because it was a little long but overall it was an enjoyable time.

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