Seeking romance, adventure and a little bit of intrigue? Search
no further. For readers who relish the thought of women breaking
out of traditional roles of mother, daughter and wife, DAUGHTER OF
FORTUNE by Isabel Allende fits the bill.  

A novel that reads like the combined diaries of several characters,
DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE delves into the lives of Eliza, Tao Chi'en,
Miss Rose, a small cluster of well-healed Englishmen living in
Chile, and the influx of gold-seekers sailing to California. Using
a heavy wand of foreshadowing, author Isabel Allende taunts readers
with information and unravels several subplots as she weaves
intertwined tales of love, lust, mystery and
adventure.  

     

Once again tapping into her well of fantasy, Allende will delight
readers with DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE, a 399-page novel that spans
several generations and dispels even more traditions and social
mores. An author whose books fit most conveniently in the romance
genre, Allende's style stretches beyond any one definition. The
author recalls many of the themes found in HOUSE OF SPIRITS and EVA
LUNA in this new work, which introduces readers to characters who
continue to inhabit the imagination well after the last page has
been turned. In DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE, Allende stretches beyond her
familiar Latin American homeland to the coasts of California,
though the first few chapters are rich with descriptions of Chilean
soil, thunderous storms and cantankerous tempers.  

     

A book filled with memories, dreams and fears, DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE
will leave readers with the pain of confinement, the longing of
unrequited love and the release of long-desired freedom. Time and
again, it trumpets the triumphs of the spirit, which cannot be
daunted by circumstance.  

Exploring the human mind and the social confines that so frequently
restrict it, Allende presents three heroines of different stature
who readers will find daring, independent and successfully
rebellious. The connection between these women, who are in most
ways worlds apart, is their thirst for adventure, a willingness to
sacrifice everything for love and the strength of their wills.
During a time when women were considered to be of little
significance, with the exception of bearing children and running
households smoothly, Allende draws characters who spring to life
and quickly establish themselves as the centers of their
universe.

     

In DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE, readers will disappear into a time when the
gold rush made headlines, and a young woman disguised as a Chilean
boy rode silently among bandits, thieves and prostitutes in a land
miles from her home to reunite herself with a man thought to be the
love of her life. Fantasy and fiction once again unite as Allende
crosses cultural and political boundaries to bring readers DAUGHTER
OF FORTUNE.