I have been meaning to read this book many times. I tried borrowing it from the library multiple times but never managed to get past the first chapter. Then, one day I was walking around downtown in the +15 (pre-COVID) and stumbled upon a Little Free Library stand. I saw the book sitting there and grabbed it. I didn't pick it up to read until now.



I rather liked this book, having no idea what it held in store for me. I remember reading the first chapter during previous attempts at reading and my eyes glazing over at the extremely idealistic way that the main character, Eliza, was described. This time around, I pushed through. I pushed through when the perspective changed to a male voice (I wasn't fond of it) and was rewarded with a very interesting view of the Sommer family.



Admittedly, Rose Sommer held most of my attention and I wasn't all too interested in Eliza. However, Allende concluded Rose's arc almost perfectly. I pushed through onto Eliza. And then to her lover. And then to Tao Chien. I was a little bristled at first, wondering if this would just turn into a caricature but I found myself absolutely absorbed into his story. Then we shifted back to Eliza and I once again endured it.



Honestly, my mind was waiting for California to be over. It was interesting enough but to me it felt like the story was dragging. When Joaquin started to tease an appearance, I became fully invested. I will say the ending was satisfying. A part of me still doesn't see how an idealistic man like Joaquin turned out the way he was at the end but maybe that's me being idealistic myself.