A Long Petal of the Sea (Largo pétalo de mar in Spanish) is a 2019 novel written by Chilean author Isabel Allende. The book was first published in Spain by Plaza & Janés and later released in the United States by Vintage Espanol. In 2019, the Spanish version was published as Largo pétalo de mar, and the English version was translated by Nick Caistor and Amanda Hopkinson. The story follows fictional characters during real historical events, including the Spanish Civil War and life in Chile, where the main characters experience the struggle between freedom and control. Between April 2019 and April 2020, A Long Petal of the Sea was the most popular book in Spain.
Plot
During the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona, Victor Dalmau left his medical studies to help the Republicans fight against General Franco's Fascist forces. During the Battle of Teruel, Victor's leg was injured. His brother, Guillem, also served as a Republican soldier but died in the Battle of the Ebro.
Victor asked his Basque friend, Aitor Ibarra, to help send his mother, Carme, and Guillem's wife, Roser, to France during La Retirada, as Franco's forces were gaining more victories. Carme believed she would burden her family's future in France and disappeared before leaving Spain. Roser was pregnant with Guillem's child. After finding safety in France, she gave birth to a boy named Marcel, named after Guillem and Victor's father.
After facing many challenges, Victor reunited with Roser in France and told her that Guillem had died. They learned that a ship called Winnipeg, arranged by poet Pablo Neruda, would transport Spanish refugees to Chile. Desperate to leave Spain, Victor and Roser married quickly to qualify for the journey. They traveled to Chile, but their problems did not end there.
In 1939, businessman Isidro and his wife, Laura Del Solar, traveled from Chile to Liverpool on the MV Reina del Pacifico. Back in Chile, their daughter Ofelia, who was engaged to Matías Eyzaguirre, began an affair with Victor. She gave birth to a baby, but they told her the child had died before birth.
In 1966, Salvador Allende was elected president of Chile, but his government was overthrown during the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. Many Spanish refugees in Chile felt they were still caught in an endless war.
In 1990, Pinochet stepped down as president, allowing democracy in Chile to return. Victor received a visit from Ingrid Schnake, who explained she was his daughter with Ofelia. She was not stillborn, as previously believed, but had been adopted.
Characters
- Victor Dalmau: Spanish doctor who supported the Republic during the Spanish Civil War
- Guillem Dalmau: Victor's brother, who died during the Battle of the Ebro
- Marcel Dalmau, Sr.: Victor's father, who was a music professor
- Carme Dalmau: Victor's mother
- Marcel Dalmau, Jr.: Son of Guillem and Roser
- Roser Bruguera: Guillem's wife, who was a musician
- Elisabeth Eidenbenz: Nurse from Madrid who worked in Teruel
- Aitor Ibarra: Basque ambulance driver who was a friend of Victor
- Isidro del Solar: Businessman from Santiago
- Laura del Solar: Isidro's wife
- Felipe del Solar: Isidro's eldest son, who was a lawyer
- Ofelia del Solar: Isidro's youngest daughter, who was a painter
- Leonardo del Solar: Isidro's youngest son
- Matías Eyzaguirre: Ofelia's fiancé
- Juana Nancucheo: Isidro's housekeeper of mixed descent
- Vicente Urbina: Catholic priest
- Ingrid Schnake: Daughter of Victor and Ofelia, who was adopted
Several important people from Chile and Spain are shown as minor characters in the story:
• Pablo Neruda
• Salvador Allende
• Augusto Pinochet
• Francisco Franco
• Dolores Ibárruri
Reception
Marcela Davison Avilés of NPR praises the "gifted stories" of Allende, saying that "A Long Petal of the Sea is a love story for these times. But it is not tied to any specific time. Its message remains unchanged, like Neruda's hope." The Observer highlights Allende's ability to tell a story about "displacement," a theme influenced by her own life experiences. In her review for The New York Times, Paula McLain describes the novel's themes: "there is a sense that every human life is a journey, and that how and where we connect shapes how we live together: the source of our humanity." Kirkus Reviews notes Allende's storytelling style: "Allende often describes emotions and events rather than exploring them deeply, and she outlines historical events in general terms, but she remains an engaging storyteller."