A Long Petal of the Sea, by Isabel Allende
'A Long Petal of the Sea' begins with a resurrection. A young soldier with a gaping wound in his chest is lying ashen in a queue for the hospital, when doctor Victor Dalmau performs the impossible. Moved by sorrow and pity, moments after the young man's pulse has fallen still, Victor reaches into the open chest and restarts the soldier's heart. It's a medical miracle, a triumph against all the odds. We move from despair (and even disgust) to amazement. It's a bold opening - but this startling first page sets the tone for Allende's whole novel. Set in the Spanish Civil War and the decades afterwards, 'A Long Petal of the Sea' is a story about humanity and hope, which emerge even in the darkest places.
If you like a novel with a wide scope, 'A Long Petal of the Sea' is one for your TBR. It follows its characters halfway across the world, maps their relationships with a huge range of people, and spans over fifty years of their lives. It's a sweeping epic. The story starts in the final throes of the Spanish Civil War, when Victor Dalmau is a young doctor. When Franco takes power, millions of Spanish people are forced into exile in France - and Victor and his family are among those who make the arduous journey over the border on foot. Grieved by this exodus, Chilean political poet Pablo Neruda commissions an old cargo ship, the Winnipeg, to rescue Spanish refugees and take them to Chile. Our characters manage to land coveted spots on Neruda's ship of hope - and so the tale continues.
One thing I enjoyed about this book was how tightly it twined together history and literature. The particular characters in the Dalmau family are fictitious, but their story is embedded so firmly in the real lived experiences of Spanish refugees that it feels almost biographical. Allende reveals in her acknowledgements that this novel was inspired by refugees that she met; moreover her own grandfather was one of the Chileans who welcomed the refugees off the Winnipeg. The story nestles alongside real memories, drawn from real people. Added to this, the political and historical landscape is far more than a backdrop in this novel: political history is what orientates the entire story, and Allende describes it in accurate detail. She taught me plenty.
But there is yet another layer of connection between the historical and the literary in this novel, and this I love. Every chapter is framed with an excerpt of Pablo Neruda's poetry. He is both a character within the narrative and a voice that speaks outside of it; he drives events for the Victor of Allende's imagination, but these events are framed by the words of the real poet. History and literature are in constant conversation with one another: politics inspires Neruda's poetry, Neruda's poetry shapes Allende's story, and Allende's story in turn reveals the history. Neruda is also the source of the book's title: 'A Long Petal of the Sea' is taken from one of his poems, and it describes Chile, unfurling like a long petal down the coast of South America. Beautiful.
My favourite aspect of 'A Long Petal of the Sea' is its romance, and this is because it's so unusual. When Victor requests a place on the Winnipeg, he is travelling with his sister-in-law, Roser. She is pregnant, and her husband (Victor's brother) has died at war. The only way Victor can secure a spot for both of them on Neruda's ship is by marrying her - so he does. Victor and Roser arrive in Chile husband and wife. They agree to support one another materially until things are settled, and to co-parent the child, but their marriage is no more than a contract necessary to guarantee their freedom. As soon as this is over, they can divorce. That's how it starts - but of course, after years of living together, sharing struggles and relying on one another's care, they begin to realise that what they have together runs far deeper than their original agreement. It's the most beautiful, powerful slow-burn love story.
Victor and Roser's romance is also special because it presents in miniature the overarching message of Allende's novel. Their love grows out of a situation that they can't control: forced together out of need rather than choice, they build from scratch and eventually settle into their newfound security, discovering love slowly and over the course of years. This is exactly the trajectory followed by every character who migrates to Chile. Uprooted, they must start again in a new and unfamiliar place. Constructing a new life takes years, but eventually there is stability and dignity and even joy to be found. Hope grows in the dark. Belonging is possible when there is mutual respect. Humanity transcends place. In every strand of the novel, Allende speaks these messages, which are as important today as they were when she wrote it - and are more relevant than ever in the political climate we see around us. Let us be the ones who respect the stranger and welcome the displaced.
Overall, this was a touching, inspiring, broad-reaching novel, full of feeling and packed with authentic historical insight. Stylistically, it was a little sparse and declarative for my liking, but I suspect this was partly because of the demands of its scope (simply so much story to tell!), and could potentially have been linked to my reading it in translation. But style aside, I enjoyed this sweeping tale of love, hope and humanity, and I think it's an important read in 2026.
You can buy 'A Long Petal of the Sea' from Waterstones by following this link (I'll receive a small commission if you do):
A Long Petal of the Sea, Isabel Allende - Waterstones
