Portrait in Sepia - by Isabel Allende (Paperback)

About the Book

After suffering a brutal trauma, Aurora del Valle cannot remember the first five years of her life. Raised by her ambitious grandmother, the regal Paulina del Valle, she enjoys a life of privilege. Yet nothing offers protection from the horrible nightmares that torment her. When she is betrayed by the man she loves, Aurora, bereft and alone, decides to unravel the tangled mystery of her past. An epic story rich with historical detail, infused with atmosphere, and intimate in its probing of human character, Portrait in Sepia is vintage Isabel Allende: a story that illuminates the complexity of family ties and the heart of a strong and unforgettable woman.

Book Synopsis

"Spectacular story-telling . . . the author's elaborate skill in weaving intimate emotional detail into the broad canvas of history is in fantastic display."--Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A spellbinding family saga--a sequel to Daughter of Fortune--from the bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and A Long Petal of the Sea.

After suffering a brutal trauma, Aurora del Valle cannot remember the first five years of her life. Raised by her ambitious grandmother, the regal Paulina del Valle, she enjoys a life of privilege. Yet nothing offers protection from the horrible nightmares that torment her. When she is betrayed by the man she loves, Aurora, bereft and alone, decides to unravel the tangled mystery of her past.

An epic story rich with historical detail, infused with atmosphere, and intimate in its probing of human character, Portrait in Sepia is vintage Isabel Allende: a story that illuminates the complexity of family ties and the heart of a strong and unforgettable woman.

Review Quotes

"Allende's enchanting historical universe keeps expanding and Portrait in Sepia is a new galactic jewel." - Chicago Tribune
"Isabel Allende has once again created a riveting saga ... Portrait in Sepia is rich with color and emotion and packed with intriguing characters. With this novel Allende proves that, as a master storyteller, she's still at the top of her game." - San Francisco Chronicle
"Portrait in Sepia is rich with color and emotion and packed with intriguing characters." - San Francisco Chronicle
"A storyteller of resounding wit and gusto. ... PORTRAIT is allusive, sensuous, often blisteringly atmospheric and turbulent with secrets and self-discovery ...[it] moves, thrills and delights." - Miami Herald
"Allende 's craft and skill at storytelling, her temperance and restraint, and the straightforwardness and honesty of her prose, shape [PORTRAIT IN SEPIA] into an engaging novel" - St. Petersburg Times