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Daughter of Fortune
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Daughter of Fortune (1999) (edit title/settings)

by Isabel Allende (Author) (edit contributors)

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An orphan raised in Valparaíso, Chile, by a Victorian spinster and her rigid brother, young, vivacious Eliza Sommers follows her lover to California during the Gold Rush of 1849 -- a danger-filled quest that will become a momentous journey of transformation. In this rough-and-tumble world of... read more

Summary edit see section history

Warning: Some spoilers.

This takes place in 1840s Chile. Eliza Sommers is a young Chilean girl raised and educated by English Anglican siblings Victorian spinster Rose and strict Jeremy Sommers, and their sailor brother John Sommers, who were colonists living in the port of Valparaiso,... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Warning: Some spoilers.

This takes place in 1840s Chile. Eliza Sommers is a young Chilean girl raised and educated by English Anglican siblings Victorian spinster Rose and strict Jeremy Sommers, and their sailor brother John Sommers, who were colonists living in the port of Valparaiso, ever since they found her on their doorstep, and taught in the art of cooking by the Mapuche Indian Mama Fresia. Over most of Part 1, we read about her origins and upbringing, and her maturity. Eliza falls in love with Joaquin Andieta, a young Chilean man who was concerned about his mother, living in poverty. The young couple have an affair, ultimately resulting in Eliza getting pregnant. Soon, news of gold being discovered in California reaches Chile, and Joaquin goes out to California in search of a fortune. Wanting to follow her lover, Eliza goes to California, with the help of her Chinese zhong yi (physician) friend, Tao Chi'en, in the bowels of a ship headed by a Dutch Lutheran captain, Vincent Katz.

In the beginning of Part 2, we read about Tao's past, from his early life in poverty, to his apprenticeship to a master acupuncturist, and his ill-fated marriage to Lin, a young and pretty, but frail girl who dies after a brief marriage. Lin's spirit later comes in to help her widowed husband at crucial points for Tao in later parts of the book. During the journey to California, Eliza, due to her pregnancy, is frail and sick, and later suffers a miscarriage. As soon as Eliza and Tao set foot in San Francisco, due to there being all men, Eliza wears a Chinese boy's cheongsam. Eliza earns money by selling some Chilean snacks and Tao becomes a successful zhong yi. Tao, after seeing the greed and brothels in San Francisco, loses most of his faith in America. Eliza then sets on her journey to find Joaquin, using a male cowboy's disguise and the moniker Elias Andieta, and claiming to be Joaquin's brother. Meanwhile in Valparaiso, Rose and Jeremy are shocked to find that Eliza has disappeared. When John comes and asks about her whereabouts, Rose reveals a well-kept, shocking secret about him: John is Eliza's father, having had her with an unnamed Chilean woman. Having the feeling that his daughter went to California, John sets sail for San Francisco.

Part 3 finds Eliza broke after still trying to search for Joaquin, she occasionly sends letters to Tao describing what she sees in her journey. Although she has fallen out of love with Joaquin,she cannot stop journeying. In an outskirt town, Eliza meets up with Joe Bonecrusher's travelling caraven of prostitutes and ends up travelling with them as cook and piano player. The members of the caravan believe Eliza to be a homosexual man,a disguise which she takes up much to the frustration of Babalu,the caravan's bodyguard. Eliza stays with the group during the winter as they settle in a small town. During this time, Tao moves to San Francisco to save up money to move back to China. He surprises himself when he realises he misses Eliza's company and is consoled when he begins receiving her letters. John Sommers in his search for Eliza, comes across Jacob Todd, an old suitor of Rose's who is now a journalist known as Jacob Freemont. Freemont promises that he will look out for any sign of Eliza. Freemont writes articles about the famous bandit Joaquin Murieta, whose description matches Eliza's lover. Tao comes and finds Eliza at Joe Bonecrusher's and Eliza comes back to San Francisco with him. They set up a network to help young Chinese prostitutes escape and rehabilitate with the help of friends. Eventually Jacob Freemont is able to pass word to the Sommers that Eliza is alive,who was previously thought dead. Tao and Eliza live together and eventually form a relationship. At the end of the novel, Joaquin Murieta is shot dead and his preserved head is showcased in San Francisco. Eliza and Tao go to see if the man was really Joaquin Andieta.

Characters edit see section history

  • Eliza Sommers: Eliza Sommers is a headstrong, half Chilean, half English girl abandoned at birth at the home of the Sommers. She is adopted and raised in part by Rose Sommers and also by Mama Fresia, the Sommers' servant and cook. She has an excellent sense of smell and a very detailed and accurate memory.
  • Rose Sommers: Incredibly beautiful, Rose Sommers never married after an affair at a young age with an opera singer ended.She has raised Eliza as her own, as though she did not wish to marry she wanted children.
  • Jeremy Sommers: Jeremy is the oldest of the Sommers. He is solid and stern, taking care to never show emotion. Jeremy and Rose live together under unspoken conditions where she takes care of the house and he provides necessities.
  • John Sommers: John is a captain of a ship and later a steamboat carrying supplies to California. He is a free-spirit and the "loosest" of the Sommers, enjoying good drinks and women. He travels to many places and brings back gifts for Rose and Eliza, after she is born.
  • Tao Chi'en: Tao Chi'en is a shanghied zhong yi (physician) working as a cook on John Sommers ship. Once he has been dismissed from the captain's duty, Eliza comes to him to ask for him to help her follow her lover Joaqín Andieta to California. Tao Chi'en smuggles Eliza aboard a ship and keeps her there for the rest of the journey. He takes care of her when she suffers from a miscarriage and saves her life. The two remain friends for life.
  • Joaquin Andieta: Joaquin is a young man who works for Jeremy Sommers, though is not known to him by name. He spends time with Jacob Todd talking about philosophy and freedom. He is a loyal and hard worker, trying his best to bring his mother into a better life. Joaquin meets Eliza when delivering something to the Sommers' house. They meet multiple times to talk which leads to an affair. When Joaquin is struck by gold fever he steals money and heads for California.
  • Jacob Todd/Freemont: Jacob is brought to Chile by a bet that he couldn't sell a specific number of Bibles in 3 months. Once he arrives he is distracted by the resisting Rose Sommers and lives off of money the local church gives him for his "mission work". Once he is unveiled as a fraud, Jacob takes off with what' left of his reputation. He ends up in California working as a journalist, though no more honest, and becomes famous for his pieces, especially those on the elusive bandit Joaquin Murieta.
  • Mama Fresia: Mama Fresia is the cook for the Sommers. Nobody pays much attention to her except for Eliza who benefits from her cooking skills as well as superstitions. Eventually Mama Fresia helps Eliza run away and then disappears herself.
  • Joe Bonecrusher: Add a description of this character.
  • Joaquin Murieta: This character is based on a true life bandit during the gold rush era.
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “"It is what you do in this world that matters, not how you come into it." ~~Eliza”

Setting & Locations edit see section history

Show all 26 settings

First Sentence edit see section history

Everyone is born with some special talent, and Eliza Sommers discovered early on that she had two: a good sense of smell and a good memory.

Table of Contents edit see section history

I. Part One 1843-1848
1. Eliza
2. The English
3. Senoritas
4. A Ruined Reputation
5. Suitors
6. Miss Rose
7. Love
II. Part two 1848-1849
1. The news
2. The Farewell
3. Fourth Son
4. Tao Chi'en
5. The Voyage
6. The Argonauts
7. The Secret
III. Part three 1850-1853
1. El Dorado
2. Business Dealings
3. Soiled Doves
4. Disillusion
5. Singsong Girls
6. Joaquin
7. An Unusual Pair

Glossary edit see section history

  • patrona: female patron or protector
  • stevedores: A dockworker involved in loading and unloading cargo.
  • fiacre: A small carriage for hire
  • fastidious: Excessively particular, demanding, or fussy about details
  • abnegation: denial, rejecting or renouncing something, doing without
  • ennui: listlessness or boredom
  • epizootic: Like or having to do with an epidemic among animals
  • apoplectic: bright red as if filled with blood
  • seraglio: a brothel or whorehouse
  • mousseline: a very fine, semi opaque fabric similar to muslin, typically made of silk, wool or cotton
  • chinoiserie: In the style that reflects the influence of Chinese art
  • vicissitudes: a change, especially in one's life or fortunes
  • impunity: Freedom from punishment or retribution; security from any reprisal or injurious consequences of an action, behaviour etc.
  • zhong yi: one who practices a traditional style of Chinese medicine
  • queue: A men's hairstyle whose primary attribute is a braid or ponytail at the back of the head, such as that worn by men in Imperial China
  • fan way: to be beyond someone's jurisdiction; to be outside of one's proper field of activity; to be irrelevant
  • quixotic: Possessing or acting with the desire to do noble and romantic deeds, without thought of realism and practicality
  • foment: To incite or cause troublesome acts
  • celestials: A native of China; slang by extension, an East Asian person
Show all 19 glossary entries

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in Book Lover's Cook Book, The. (authoritative list)
This is book 34 of 70 in Oprah's Book Club. (authoritative list)
This book is in Tayshas List (2001). (authoritative list)
This is book 14 of 1 in Džepna biblioteka (Vuković & Runjić, Zagreb). (standard series)
This book is in The Rory Gilmore Reading Challenge. (community list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Isabel Allende (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Tamara Horvat Kanjera (Translator)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: HarperCollin
Country: USA
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0061565334
Page Count: 432

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PQ8098.I.L54H5513 1999
  • Dewey: 868'.44

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

Books with Additional Background Information edit see section history

   
  • Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende Lesson Plans
  • Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende | Summary & Study Guide

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