Will I love A Long Petal of the Sea?

Even though this love story is set in very tragic times–The Spanish Civil War and the troubles in Chile–we follow the journey of two refugees, Victor and Rose, whose forced marriage gradually deepens into true love.

The author, herself an immigrant in the USA, meaningfully draws out questions facing so many migrants and refugees: Where do I belong? Where are my roots? Is my heart divided, or has it grown bigger?

I put aside the book I was reading at the time to live within this book as long as I could.

I thought I knew about the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the events that led to the uprisings in Chile in the 1970s, but one really doesn’t understand world events until one experiences them through the lives of those (fictional or real) who endured them.

In this story of an unlikely marriage, I learned once again that love is how we survive.

This story starts in Spain’s Civil War but immigrates to Chile. I have two reasons to be attracted to this book. First I grew up in South America and so am drawn to this setting, but second I had a writing mentor who was a small boy during the Franco regime. (I published his story in my blog.)

An exodus of thousands of Spaniards escaped into France and Cristian Zozaya was separated from his parents for years until they were able to immigrate to South America. His story echoes the beginning of Allende’s, except hers is about adult refugees in… show more.