70 pages • 2 hours read
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Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of death and gender discrimination.
Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. Violeta’s life is marked by personal tragedy, political unrest, and passionate love affairs. Which of the novel’s events did you find the most moving? Which of the protagonist’s romantic partners did you like best, and why?
2. Isabel Allende is one of the world’s most acclaimed and prolific Spanish-language authors. What similarities and differences can you identify between Violeta (2022) and Allende’s earlier works, such as The House of the Spirits (1982) or Eva Luna (1987)? If this is your first time reading Allende, are you interested in reading more?
3. Violeta is an example of an epistolary novel. Compare and contrast Allende’s use of this narrative form to another epistolary novel, such as Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), which is told through the email exchanges of four friends. Can you identify any advantages or challenges the epistolary format presents compared to more common narrative structures?
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Violeta becomes engaged in activism after she learns of Torito’s death. What social causes and issues are important to you, and what ignited your passion about them?
2. Supporting characters like Josephine and Teresa offer the young Violeta examples of women who transcend restrictive gender norms. In your own life, who has shaped your understanding of gender?
3. Allende’s fiction teaches that politics is deeply personal. What historical events have shaped your life and developed your own political and social consciousness?
4. Violeta embraces lifelong learning. Do you consider yourself a lifelong learner? If so, what individuals and events in your life helped you cultivate this love of learning?
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. Although Violeta doesn’t name her home country, her account of the United States’ efforts to undermine the nation’s democratically elected socialist leader resembles the 1973 coup that overthrew Chile’s Salvador Allende. How does reading this novel contribute to your understanding of the political unrest in Latin America during the Cold War?
2. This novel was published in 2022, the same year that the United States Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade. How might Violeta’s activism on behalf of women’s rights and reproductive freedom resonate with contemporary individuals fighting for this cause?
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. How does Violeta’s transformation from adherence to gender norms to empowerment develop the theme of feminism as an individual journey? How do Violeta’s romantic relationships reflect her evolving relationships with societal expectations and herself?
2. How does the story’s structure advance the theme that the political is personal by linking key moments in Violeta’s personal life to historical events? How does this theme contribute to the novel’s overall meaning?
3. How does the cross that Violeta carves for Torito represent love and loyalty, and how does this symbol develop as the story unfolds? Discuss the significance of Violeta leaving the cross to Camilo.
4. How does the author use the setting of Santa Clara to symbolize home and advance the protagonist’s growth? What does Violeta’s decision to spend her final days in Santa Clara emphasize about her character?
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. The novel is composed as a letter from Violeta to her grandson. Imagine that you are Camilo and write a letter in response to what she has shared. Include the lessons you believe Camilo would take from his grandmother’s life story.
2. Create a collage that represents Violeta’s journeys and growth over the course of the novel. During or after collaging, take turns explaining the images you have chosen and what they represent.
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By Isabel Allende