Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende is a magical realism novel that blends fantastical elements with historical fiction. Set in the backdrop of Chile in the throes of dictatorship, the novel follows Irene, a journalist, and Francisco, a photographer, who are working together to figure out what happened to Evangelina, a young girl with the potential ability to create miracles after she is taken by the government. Irene begins to break from the mold of the general public and is determined to find answers to what happened to Evangelina, but eventually is exposed to the reality of the world she lives in.
The main focus of the novel is told through the historical lens to fully immerse the reader into the time period they are living in, and Allende uses the magical realism as a tool to create interest and mystery into the novel. The actual fantastical elements of the story are a lot less pronounced than you would expect, but they create a deep impact on the reader.
The setting and timing are incredibly important to the story, taking place in 1970s Chile. Not only is the novel set in that time period, but it was also written during it. The novel itself reads more like a character study in the way that it follows its characters throughout their lives and struggles in the hard times they are living through. Because of its historical placement, its commentary on military Chile is earnest and honest, fully from the perspective of a woman living there at the same time.
While there is a romance, it is not the main focus of the novel, which actually works in the story’s favor. The romance itself makes sense within the story, but the main themes and ideas are prevalent throughout the characters. Allende creates a diverse cast of characters, all with different perspectives and personalities, to highlight how no one is safe from this life and simply ignoring it will cause more harm than good. Each character has their own set of unique political and ideological opinions that weigh into how they decide to move forward throughout the story.
I highly recommend this novel for anyone who wants to read historical fiction in any capacity. Personally, this is one of my least-read genres, but this novel excels at creating a deep and interesting story about a time period not always highlighted. Allende’s writing style is a little confusing at first; she throws you headfirst into the story with large descriptions of characters, but it is easy to pick up on what you are reading, and it actually helps guide you through the novel later on. Of Love and Shadows is a great novel to branch out into the historical fiction genre and explore the history of Chile with an interesting story.
