The story of Eliza, a spirited young chilean girl who travels into the untamed world of the California gold rush, in search of her first love, Joaquin Andieta. Nothing in her rigid Victorian upbringing prepared her for the world she found. Travel with her as she searches for her love, and in the process finds her freedom and herself.
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Read Chapter One Excerpt
January Magazine - Author Interview
Isabel Allende's Website
Reading Group Guide - discussion questions from ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Another Interview - at motherjones.com

Real Gold Rush Stories of Women Pioneers - at the Museum of the city of San Francisco
Photographs of Chinese During the Gold Rush - Dim Sum: A Connection to Chinese-American Culture
In Their Own Words and Images - read a letter from a miner, and see one of the oldest known photographs of San Francisco

Read more about it, or buy it at Amazon.com

Further Reading Suggestion:

They Saw the Elephant : Women in the California Gold Rush by JoAnn Levy Levy tells about the experiences of women, interspersing her text with excerpts from diaries and journals and concluding with brief biographies of 17 women.

Discuss Daughter of Fortune at "The Book Venue Buzz"

In 19th century Chile, a married woman could not travel, sign legal documents, go to court, sell or buy anything without her husband's permission. No wonder Rose doesn't want to get married! How would the lives of the women you know be different under those conditions?

What do you think Allende means by referring to Eliza as a "daughter of fortune"?

Submit a Review or Quote For "Daughter of Fortune" today!

Reader Reviews:

Submitted by Sharon (March 2001)
I found this book to be enjoyable. It was easy to read and I like Isabel Allende's storytelling. This story made me more interested in the California gold rush and, living in Alaska, it has made me more interested in the gold rush history of the area I live in.