I appreciate the works of Isabel Allende and here her story-telling approach for showing the grand narrative of history through the story of a family across generations is brought to Trump’s 1st presidency.
Like with her other books, this one weaves together the lives of 3 main characters, Samuel and his early life in Nazi Austria and then his adult life, Leticia originally from El Salvador but now living in the US, and Anita a little girl trapped in the asylum system during Trump’s first term.
As she has does in her other works, she deftly joins these 3 lives together in a way that does feel satisfying at the end and just about manages to avoid it feel contrived. I say just about because there is a need to have a slightly-higher suspension of disbelief, partly because she dials back her usual magical realism habits here. It’s still present through a psychic aunt and the safe space in her imagination that Anita carves for herself, but these elements are almost a sidenote.
It’s not an easy read emotionally at times. Allende doesn’t hide away from the inhumane treatment of Samuel in his childhood, nor the many risks Anita faces in a profit and process driven asylum system with very few of the state officials she meets treating her as anything more than another number to be chewed up and spat back across the border. A few trigger warnings are also needed as Allende doesn’t shy away from domestic violence or sexual violence. These are brief but impactful.
Definitely worth reading.
