Daughter of Fortune

Isabel Allende

I finished Daughter of Fortune this morning and thought it a well crafted novel. The characterizations were without fault and Allende handles the history of a country in the thrust of discovery with great skill, bringing the reader into a time and place rich in its own beginnings. I thought the novel held two areas of weakness, the beginning and the end. I almost didn't turn past page 50, but once there, it was never a matter of tossing the book aside. Long before you turn the last page, the outcome is predictable and I felt there was so much story left to tell. Overall a great story with memorable characters, I'd recommend it.