This is pure Allende. You hear her voice in every line, on every page. There's lots of Latinas, strong women, language difficulties, food, cults, holistic medicine, midwives, California, San Francisco, poverty, broken relationships, failed marriages, psychotherapy, jewelry, art, crafts, mysticism, charlatans, dashed expectations, vivid descriptions, time jumps, predictions, crystal balls, tarot cards, religions, priests, rituals, fortune telling, dropouts, addiction, wealth, lawyers, migrants, police, courts, hospitals, babies, kids, grandparents, husbands, wives, lovers, savants, adoption, abortion, doctors, drugs, painting, plants, unusual pets, sound familiar yet? One distinguishing feature is excessively long paragraphs, some extending over multiple pages. It feels like this has been dictated to someone who never knows when to end the thoughts, so they get pushed together. It feels spoken rather than written. Perhaps we should attribute that to this being translated from Spanish. Quien sabe? It also has some words which stick out, such as 'calvary'. Yes we know what it means but who says calvary rather than extreme burden. Perhaps Allende?

What distinguishes this story is the central character, a white male. But he grows up in a barrio of Los Angeles and is essentially adopted by a Mexican family so his basic outlook is Chicano. His biological family is pure California. His family is a bit cult like with a messianic preacher/charlatan father, a Bahai mother giving up her Jewish Russian roots, an auntie who becomes the midwife/fortune teller/elixir maker, sexual teacher etc, and the sister who tries to escape sexual abuse at the hands of the father through overeating. Complications from the very start. The Mexican family, while attracted to the father's Infinite Plan, provides the stability in the boy's life especially through a lifelong closeness with one of their daughters. Her story parallels his and is more Allende.

Another distinguishing aspect of this story is the attempt to portray society from the depression, WWII, Vietnam, hippies, civil rights, drugs, to the greed driven eighties and nineties. Much centers around San Francisco and Berkley. It tries to be an American story but has firm Latin roots. One message is you can take the boy out of the barrio but you can never take the barrio out of the boy. Even though he achieves wealth and success there's always the uncertainty and disbelief in being able to succeed. The scope of the plot leads to shallow character development with cartoonish characters throughout trying desperately to be emblematic.

It feels like Allende is consciously trying to not make this not about herself. In that sense this is a clear failure. It's not her best known work but it's definitely worth a read. ( )

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Everyone EVERYONE should read this book. ( )

Since I first ran across her works have taken pleasure in her writings. This one, to me, is exceptional. A story of life's journey from the beginning of awareness through childhood to maturity; all the events that make a person who they are with no holds barred. This is far from a simple story and can draw one in when read as part of a life's journey that conveys us to the point where the protagonist reaches maturity; a transition from who he defined himself as to who he really is. When reading the story the complexity and depth is not evident until the conclusion which totally changes the prespective. It is a profound change and elevates it beyond a simple story. A great piece of writing. ( )