A Long Petal of the Sea is the title of Isabel Allende’s latest novel, drawn from poet Pablo Neruda’s description of Chile as “the long petal of sea and wine and snow.” Allende’s novel takes place inside the history of the Spanish Civil War that preceded WWII, the resulting exile of a Spaniards, including many to Chile, and Chile’s subsequent history through the election and overthrow of Allende, using fictional characters interacting with real characters like Pablo Neruda and Allende in real historical events. Multiple story lines originate in Spain and Chile and over time tie together. There’s plenty of character and plot created in the lives of the fictional characters, but the political history of Spain and Chile was especially interesting to me (and foreboding, given trends in the USA these days). Here’s what the L.A. Times says.
