A Long Petal of the Sea

About “A Long Petal of the Sea”

In the late 1930s, Spain was torn by civil war. General Franco and his Fascists overthrew the government, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee across the mountains to the French border. Roser, a pregnant young widow, meets Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. To survive, they enter an unwanted marriage. They are sponsored by poet Pablo Neruda to board the SS Winnipeg with 2,200 refugees, seeking a new life. They emigrate to Chile as Europe plunges into World War. Their struggles continue, but they find joy and friendship in unexpected places. Their hope of returning home keeps them going. In the end, they discover that home may have been closer than they realized. The novel is written by Isabel Allende.