I have read this several times.. the only reason i am giving one up is because i received one as a gift. All of Allende's books are great.

A terrific, well researched, tale of life during the Gold Rush of 1849. You can read it as the search of a woman for her lost love, or you can read it for details of life at that time and in that place. After I finished it, I followed with a history of the Gold Rush.

This one started out really very slow for me. The first 75 pages or so really drag out the set up to this novel. The middle section is really good, the parts once they reach SFO are fascinating. Then it ends. Really abruptly. I'm left feeling that the author didn't finish the story. Where's the rest of it? Did she reach some pre-determined page count and then had to stop? A pretty good book, would be better with less at the beginning and more at the end.

It took me a long time to get into this book. It was very slow moving and not as captivating as I had hoped. Although it received rave reviews, I found it lacking in substance.

To be honest, I'm still not sure if I liked this book or not.

While the main character is listed as Eliza, it seems that nearly every character you come across has their own (lengthy) backstory that almost rivals hers. They're all inter-connected in some way but not to a degree that we really need to know all of that information.

Don't get me wrong, Allende has a fantastic way of writing that brings the details to life. It was a quick and easy read with beautiful imagery and interesting stories. It held my attention enough that I wanted to finish it but I thought it really started to shine towards the end of the novel. The end is so abrupt that I went online to make sure my copy hadn't had pages torn out.

Good read for historical fiction fans.

A historical novel "seasoned" by four cultures,--English, Chilean, Chinese, and American. Set during the California Gold Rush, this adventure story is filled with romance, passion and great storytelling!

This book was historic, and brillantly delved into a gutsy young woman's travels to a Gold Rush California. This felt so real. It was enthralling.

I loved this story. From Chile to the Gold Rush of California, the characters are rich and take you along with them on an adventure. "Portrait in Sepia" also by Allende, follows the characters and their families further in generations. Fantastic read!

Read All Book Reviews of "Daughter of Fortune"

This book seems like it would like to be the Chilean "Gone with the Wind," but it doesn't make it. Still, it's an interesting story with insights into the lives of 19th century women, much determined by class and status, and the spirit of one young woman that takes her from claustrophobic comfort in Chile to the freedom and danger of the California Gold Rush.

Excellent family saga story line. The ending pleasantly suprised me on how loose ends came together.

She is amazing... I am now reading all of her books.

Very well written. Interesting characters. Love it!

Beautifully written, magical realism

A wonderful story of searching for love the back drop of 18th century Chile and California. Couldnt put down.

This is a Oprah Book club book. I like this book.

This was an interesting perspective on the California Gold Rush...

Historical fiction with a twist. Very good storytelling.

Loved the history of California during the gold rush. A very good read, but I didn't realize that this wasn't the first in a series until after I was finished!! But, in this case, it didn't really matter.

Read All Book Reviews of "Daughter of Fortune"