Rating: 
Summary: It starts out well, but is ultimately disappointing.
Review: I picked up "Daughter of Fortune," by Isabel Allende, because it is an Oprah book and I have liked some of Oprah's choices. I was drawn to the story of Eliza, a foundling taken in by a British brother and sister, Jeremy and Rose Sommers, in Valparaiso, Chile. Allende describes Eliza's childhood in Chile effectively. Rose Sommers, who has never married, cares for Eliza but does not know how to nurture her effectively. Jeremy Sommers is remote and busy with business matters. Eliza learns a great deal at the feet of Mama Fresia, a loving Indian woman who is as wise as she is caring. The book takes a strange turn when Eliza falls in love and travels to California during the Gold Rush to search for her departed lover. The book meanders badly after that, with new characters constantly being introduced. Allende captures the frenzy and madness of the California Gold Rush, but Eliza gets lost in the hubbub. She meets a Chinese man, named Tao Chi'en, on her voyage to America. Tao Chi'en becomes a confidante and a close friend, but this relationship is not satisfactorily developed. Eliza also gets involved with a madam running a brothel. All these characters are shallow and uninteresting. The promise of the first part of the book is not realized, as the book meanders to its disappointing conclusion.
Rating: 
Summary: Picks up speed in California
Review: The book is best when it follows Eliza Sommers. The backstories of Rose Sommers, Karl Bretzner, and Tao Chi'en stop the natural flow of things and just drag down an otherwise wondeful book. The story picks up speed when Eliza reaches California. The Chilean part takes too long to establish characters and motivation.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging story
Review: I enjoyed this book. The biggest weakness, in my opinion, is that there is quite a lot of setup and backstory to read that covers many different characters before the plot really gets going. As a reader, I occasionally found it offputting to read the pages and pages of backstory without having many hints as to why I was being told this information. However, once the story got going, I was capitvated. I was hoping for more resolution for several of the characters, though.
Rating:
Summary: A book highly recommended unless you've read her other books
Review: This is the first book that I have read by Isabel Allende. She is a tremendous writer, thoroughly entertaining and capitivating. From reading the reviews of her followers, I initially could not understand their disappointment with this book. (I read the book in two days and I have a demanding job.) Upon further reflection, I can see that the second half of the book did not have enough character development, there was little substance to the story line for the secondary characters in the second half, and the reader really wanted a better ending. Still, all in all, this is a very good book and one I would highly recommend if you have not read any of Ms. Allende's other works. (Skip it if you have so you won't be disappointed.) The part of the book I liked the best is the character Tao Chi'en. Originally his family sold him into slavery and he trained to become a chinese doctor, but ended up in California by being kidnapped and taken aboard a ship bound to Chile (meets Eliza) and then on to America. In America he disembarks to help Eliza find her love. Their trials and tribulations in America were so realistic that it seemed to me that Ms. Allende actually lived during the gold rush days. I loved tracking Tao Chi'en endeavors and his character growth in America. It was fascinating and the best part of the book!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Story, But Too Many Loose Ends
Review: This is the first of Isabel Allende's works that I have read, and I must admit I can't wait to read another. The sensuality of her descriptions captovated me, and I found myself transported to Chile and California in its early days. Contrary to other reviewers opinions, I found that the characters were fascinating, and fully drawn. I especially enjoyed Paulina, the spoiled daughter turned shipping magnate/socialite. I wanted Eliza to find Joaquin, and breathlessly turned each page as she grew closer to her target. yet I also found there were a few too many loose ends. What happened to Mama Fresia, and Mrs. Andieta? Did Rose Sommers ever travel to California? Did John Sommers ever reunite with his daughter? What about Jacob Todd/Freemont--did his journalism career continue with success after the death of his most compelling subject? Did Tao Chi'en continue his efforts with the singsong girls? I think this book screams sequel, because the love between a Chilean and a Chinese is just too compelling to ignore, and could be a novel in and of itself. Overall, Daughter of Fortune was a fascinating and vivid read. It has made me a fan of Isabel Allende's, and if House of the Spirits is that much better, than I cannot wait.
Rating:
Summary: Daughter of Fortune
Review: Daughter of Fortune, by Isabel Allende, is a captivating adventure about a young girl who journeys a long way to find what real love is. Allende has an amazing talent with character development and she is so knowledgeable about this time period that it is as if she had actually lived then. Eliza Sommers, a girl brought up in Chile, falls in love with one of her uncle John's workers named Joaquin Andieta, at first sight. When he leaves for California in search of gold during the rush, she is left desperate and lonely, pregnant with his child. Luck befriends her and she is stowed away on a ship headed to San Francisco with the help of the Chinese "zhong yi" (medicine man), Tao Ch'ien. She plays the piano and cooks to make a living while keeping an eye out for her lost lover. All the while, she develops a very close friendship with Tao. With every passing day, she searches and searches for her Joaquin. She pretends to me male, and sends word around that his "brother" is looking for him, hoping that he will realize that she is there and looking for him. In the end, she has to make the decision whether or not she still loves Joaquin and if he is worth such tribulation and sacrifice. I normally don't like sappy love stories, but this one was more sincere and realistic. This book was a little slow, but I got to know the characters well enough to the point where I cared about them. Allende gives detailed history of each character and it helped me get to know their background. The characters go through a lot of adventures, mentally and physically, and the reader travels right along with them.
Rating:
Summary: Not A Total Disapointment!!!
Review: This is the second novel that I've read by Ms. Allende and I must say that from the historic point of view I find her work to be wonderful! She has the ablity to draw a picture with her words that really put you in California during the Gold Rush (I am a native Northern Californian so I am very familiar with this part of our history), as well as really drawing a descriptive picture of life in Chile. This I think is part of Ms. Allende's charm in her writing. As far as characterization goes I find that yes, she does introduce many different characters and yes, it can be confusing at times but still I think it works if you read carefully and not let your mind wander. I have the insight of having previously read "Portrait In Sepia" so many of these characters (Eliza, Tao Chi'en, and the Sommers) were familiar to me and I loved to read how they came about from the very beginning. Yes, the ending is abrupt but I really can't see how she could have tied it up with a real pretty bow and not continue on with the their story in "Portrait in Sepia." This is really more of an epic love story not unlike "Gone With the Wind" (remember that one also had a rather abrupt ending and people love the book) that covers many aspects of all of the characters lives. As a result this many not appeal to many readers because the idea of romance is a very large part of the story. Why this bothers people I don't understand but there you have it. For a very entertaining read that incorporates historic details as well as deeper characterization then most authors then you can't go wrong with Ms. Allende.
Rating: 
Summary: MAGIC IS GONE
Review: If you are a fan of the magic and creativity of Eva Luna then this B-/C+ romance novel will be a big disappointment. This is nothing more than an average romance novel with poor character development and the usual unbelievable circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: I thought that Daughter of Fortune was a good read. It would be a great summer vacation read: the plot clicks along, the characters are engaging, and the story doesn't require much mental effort/struggling from the reader. This book reads quickly, and Allende continues the stories of the characters she introduces here in another book, Portrait in Sepia.
Rating: 
Summary: Will read all of Ms. Allende books, based on this one!
Review: This was one of those, "Oh my God...what's going to happen next!?" books that I could not put down. Eliza is a beautiful character in this book and you feel as if you are the stowaway, identityless explorer, or hopeless romantic. What I thouroughly enjoyed though, is how that Ms.Allende gave us such a history of all the main characters, so that we could understand their current state of mind. Rose and her fear of love, Tao Chien and his undying loyalty to Eliza, and lastly Jacob Todd, who you can't help but feel sorry for throughout the book. If you like a book filled with adventure, interesting characters, tangled plot and a little romance on the side, then you will like this book. If you like history and interesting facts about different areas of the world you will also like this book. It's a must read, however, I will agree that the ending was abrupt and left me hungry for more. The somewhat sequel "Portrait in Sepia" helped shed a little light on the life of Eliza and Tao Chien. It is also a must read! Don't miss it!
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