My Name is Emilia Del Valle *DNF*

My Name is Emilia Del Valle by Isabel Allende *DNF*

G👀dreads

In San Francisco 1866, an Irish nun, left pregnant and abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia Del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman.

To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of sixteen, she begins to publish pulp fiction under a man’s pen name. When these fictional worlds can't contain her sense of adventure any longer, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at the San Francisco Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan.

As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, along with Eric, and while there, begins to uncover the truth about her father and the country that represents her roots. But as the war escalates, Emilia finds herself in danger and at a crossroads, questioning both her identity and her destiny.

It also says "...introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart". We shall see. Those statements rarely hold up to their hype.  

Genre: Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, Romance
(I'm not sure about magical realism so I'll let you know)

**DNF***

My friend Connie was right. She thought this author might be too intense for my liking. I ditched Emilia this morning at about 50%. It got way too political. The first two parts were okay.

Part 1 - Her mom was a nun and after a relationship she was left pregnant by a Chilean aristocrat. Her daughter Emilia was raised by her adoring stepfather who encourages her that she can do anything. So far okay.
Part 2 - She pursues a career as a writer but has to use a male pen name because in the late 1800's motherhood was pretty much the only acceptable path for a woman. "His" books were popular so she turns to journalism where she is hired as a columnist not a journalist. She asked what's the difference. The editor told her journalist report facts (wow, how that has changed) and columnist write opinions. He tells her people wouldn't take a female writer serious so she still has to use her pen name. He has her collaborating with the male journalist. That part was interesting. We've come a long way baby.
Part 3 - THEN she gets an opportunity to go to Chile to cover the Civil War that is brewing but she has to go with the journalist, 'cuz she's a woman. She insist they use her real name. This trip also gives the side story of wanting to meet her biological father. And then it spiraled downhill into an in-your-face message about war and the cost on human impact, the poor, and the powerful. Yes war is hell. We know that. I could only take so much of that before I said "I'm out".

I still don't know what the "Magical Realism" part was that was included as the genre. 

As I often do after I DNF a book, I go back and read some of the negative reviews. One said it was exactly the same as Isabel Allende's memoir Portrait in Sepia. The reviewer went on to say "Its as if her publisher told her to write a memoir and she said she already did and the publisher said that was years ago, do it again". She said that Isabel needs to let go of the nostalgic Chile she once knew and loved and write about something else for a change because she keeps rehashing the same-ole same-ole.
I love brutal honesty!

Oh, the part for the intro that said "introduces a character who will never let hold of your heart" - already let go. >> Next...

🎧Coral Pena and Johnathan McClain