From the Bookshelf of Our Shared Shelf…
Find A Copy At
Group Discussions About This Book
No group discussions for this book yet.
What Members Thought
Although it wasn't a page-turner, I'm really glad I read this book - I wish I knew more about South American history especially since I'm from South America and I knew one thing for sure - it was barbaric savage times in the 1500s and this book's numerous battle scenes prove my point. I thoroughly enjoyed talking about it through my book club, where we discussed the character of Ines Sastre, a woman who was beyond her times as she was fearless to find her freedom even if meant to go to an unknow
...more
Sometimes you just want a good romping historical fiction novel. This was an intensely interesting adaptation of the life of Inés Suárez, a Spanish woman who immigrated to the New World (Central and then South America). She became the mistress of Pedro de Valdivia, and helped him "conquer" Chile. She later married Rodrigo de Quiroga, one of Valdviia's captains. Of course, this meant a lot of ensuing romance and adventure. The story of the colonization of Chile and Peru (and her comments on the r
...more
Eh. I read to the end because I was too lazy to look up on wikipedia what happened to the characters, but this was actually a pretty boring book. I couldn't be bothered to care about any of the characters, and Ines seemed smug and underdeveloped.
...more
This is a beautifully written and well researched book, but all of the conquests, pillaging, and rapes are giving me nightmares, so I am stopping on page 176.
Sep 16, 2007
treehugger
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
partially_read,
audiobooks
I can't seem to be able to finish listening to this (VERY LONG) book in the 4 weeks the library allots me. And there's no renewals allowed. So I'll have to wait til I have the time to check it out again and listen to the rest of it..
It's pretty good so far. i was sort of shocked at the descriptions of sex so early in the book, but it seems like a good historical fiction. ...more
It's pretty good so far. i was sort of shocked at the descriptions of sex so early in the book, but it seems like a good historical fiction. ...more
For me this is one of not very Allende books. It's written by Isabel Allende, but it didn't suck me in as previous ones.
...more
I'm slogging through this, not like her earlier, wonderful books so far
...more
I truly enjoyed the book as with most of Isabel Allende books!
Sep 10, 2007
Gloriana
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
Dec 30, 2007
Lianne
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
own-to-read
Jun 08, 2009
Carolyn
marked it as to-read
May 15, 2014
Kate
marked it as to-read
May 22, 2016
Kate
marked it as abandoned-dnf
Apr 09, 2025
Christine Hopkins
marked it as to-read
