Daughter of Fortune - by Isabel Allende (Paperback)

About the Book

Raised in the British colony of Valparaâiso, Chile, English orphan Eliza Sommers meets and falls in love with the wildly inappropriate Joaquâin Andieta, a lowly clerk with ambitious dreams. When gold is discovered in the hills of northern California, Chileans, including Joaquâin, head north to seek their fortune. Eliza, pregnant with Joaquâin's child, leaves behind everything she knows to follow her lover. In the rough-and-tumble world of San Francisco, Eliza must navigate a society dominated by greedy men. But with the help of her natural spirit and a good friend, Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en, Eliza soon comes to discover that her search for love has become a quest of personal freedom.

Book Synopsis

An Oprah Book Club selection!

"Allende has created a masterpiece of historical fiction that is passionate, adventurous, and brilliantly insightful. . . . suspenseful and surprising." --Denver Post

From the revered New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and A Long Petal of the Sea comes a passionate tale of one young woman's epic journey to save her lover, set against the chaos, greed, and promise of the 1849 California Gold Rush.

Raised in the British colony of Valparaíso, Chile, English orphan Eliza Sommers meets and falls in love with the wildly inappropriate Joaquín Andieta, a lowly clerk with ambitious dreams. When gold is discovered in the hills of northern California, Chileans, including Joaquín, head north to seek their fortune. Eliza, pregnant with Joaquín's child, leaves behind everything she knows to follow her lover.

In the rough-and-tumble world of San Francisco, Eliza must navigate a society dominated by greedy men. But with the help of her natural spirit and a good friend, Chinese doctor Tao Chi'en, Eliza soon comes to discover that her search for love has become a powerful coming of age story and a quest of personal freedom.

Review Quotes

"An extravagant tale by a gifted storyteller whose spell brings to life the 19th century world. . . . entertaining and well paced . . . compelling." - Los Angeles Times

A pleasurable story [with] a rich cast of characters . . . In Daughter of Fortune, Allende has continued her obsession with passion and violence. - New York Times Book Review

A fast-pased adventure story. - San Francisco Chronicle

Allende details her plot and settings richly. - Entertainment Weekly

Allende has created a masterpiece of historical fiction that is passionate, adventurous, and brilliantly insightful. . . . suspenseful and surprising. - Denver Post

Allende interweaves a densely layered tale of passion with the stuff of history and legend. - San Diego Union-Tribune

Full of energy and vivacity. - Vogue Australia

"A rambunctious picaresque about love and obsession." - Miami Herald