A Long Petal of the Sea Summary
Isabel Allende

A Long Petal of the Sea Overview

In Isabel Allende's novel A Long Petal of the Sea, the Spanish Civil War forces Victor Dalmau and Roser Bruguera together. Although Roser is pregnant with Victor's late brother's baby, Victor insists that they marry in order to secure their passage aboard the Winnipeg. The ship effectively delivers them from Europe to Chile. Over the course of the following years, the unlikely couple is compelled to rely upon one another as a seemingly endless string of tragedies befall them. Spanning roughly 60 years and told from the third person point of view, the novel explores themes including belonging, freedom, and love.