Daughter of Fortune

Unabridged
Author: Isabel Allende
Narrator: Blair Brown
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Date: October 2007
Length: 13 hours
Ratings:
Formats:
  • CD

Suggested Titles

Overview

An Orphan raised in Valparaiso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849. She enters a rough-and-tumble world whose newly arrived inhabitants are driven mad by gold with the help of her good friend and savior, the Chinese doctor Tao Chien-California opens the door to a new life of freedom and independence for the young Chilean. Her search for the elusive lover gradually turns into another kind of journey, and by the time she finally hears news of him, Eliza must decide who her true love really is.

Selected Reviews

Daughter of Fortune

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 4/5

Daughter of Fortune

by Alan Hermanson
  • Book Rating: 0/5

More...

Read All 23

Reviews (23)

Daughter of Fortune

Written by Anonymous from , on June 27th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 4/5

This book was captivating from the first chapter and I loved the history and character development but the ending was flat and left me with many questions that I thought should have been answered. After investing so much in the characters I felt I deserved more at the end. Very good read nonetheless.

Daughter of Fortune

Written by Alan Hermanson from , on June 25th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 0/5

I couldn't make it past the first two CDs and that was pushing it to the max, hoping each boring hour that somehow the writer would learn how to write and make this book come alive. Alas, it never did. The stoy may be a good one, but the writing is endless exposition: "She was this, he was that" or "She felt this, he felt that". Unless a writer is skilled in the art of "Show Don't Tell" the reader is deprived of visualization and other sensory stimulation and will never feel as if they actually enter the story. The writer may be popular and certainly did a lot of research, but I just don't think they know how to write. The book didn't deserve to be published.

daughter of fortune

Written by Paula on June 22nd, 2008

  • Book Rating: 4/5

I was hesitant to get this book because of all the complaints about the abrupt ending. I liked this book, and didn't feel as though the ending was a problem. It was a good story, with good narration. I'd recommend it.

I didn't like the ending

Written by Vanesa on May 28th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I didn't like the ending. I felt like a part was missing. I was waiting to enjoy an ending where characters finally come together and make peace with each other or to learn why she was "fortuned".....But, I am still waiting !!!

Only got through 2 discs

Written by Anonymous from , on May 14th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 2/5

This was the 1st audio book I sent back without finishing it. I didn't give up till disc 3 though. I just didn't get gripped with any plot or interesting events or the like. I'm certain that the story line got more interesting later on, but it just didn't happen quick enough for me. I reminded myself I was no longer in school and I didn't HAVE to finish the whole thing if I didn't WANT to!!

try again

Written by Erin A. from , on April 29th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 1/5

I could not get started on this book. I tried two times to start it and it could not hold my attention. The voice of the reader was...blah! I do think I will give it another try tho...

Ending was terrible!

Written by Katy Parente from , on April 26th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

I loved this story....until the end!!! I too feel as many other listeners did...that the author could have ended it a lot differently. It was very good and I had no problem follinging the flipping back and forth between characters...but the author didn't really come through with a good ending...that was very dissappointing. I would have given it a 5...but with the ending...it dropped to a 3.

Daughter of Fortune

Written by Anonymous on April 7th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 4/5

This was a meandering story that flipped back and forth between the present and the characters backgrounds. I didn't mind the jumps, but some people might find it confusing. The story was well-written, but after a while I began to wonder why Eliza would continue to search for Jouquin - he had obviously abandoned her - did she really think she could still be madly in love with him? Some of the other listeners thought the ending was abrupt, but I think the real ending came before that and the "abruptness" was just a way to tie up loose ends before the book finished. Of course, I would have liked it to go on, but Eliza had finally made the decisions about her life and it was a good time to end. I think continuing the story would have only weakened it.

Daughter Of Fortune

Written by E.C. Brooks on March 25th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 5/5

I found this audio book so fasinating, I could not stop listening. I LOVED it !!!! At times it was hard to follow the story line,& the accents but all & all it was very captivating! While I LOVED it, my husband did not care for it at all. He says the whole story line was too complicated. Perhaps women would like it more than men.

Daughter of Fortune

Written by Patricia Blumberg on March 10th, 2008

  • Book Rating: 3/5

This book kept my interest and the story of the characters was very intriguing. The author, however,left some characters "dangling" and the ending was quite abrupt and unsatisfactory. But all in all a good period piece about 19th century Chile and California.

Selected Reviews

Daughter of Fortune

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 4/5

Daughter of Fortune

by Alan Hermanson
  • Book Rating: 0/5

More...

Read All 23

Author Details

Author Details

Allende, Isabel

"Born in Peru, Isabel Allende was raised in Chile. She is the author of the novels The House of the Spirits, Of Love and Shadows, Eva Luna, and The Infinite Plan, the short story collection The Stories of Eva Luna, and the memoir Paula. Her most recent book was Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses. Isabel Allende lives in California."