History Literature / EvaLuna

* RatedMForManly: Eva's childhood friend and first love, Huberto Naranjo, wants to be the manliest man ever as a pre-teen boy. He later laughs at it when older, realising how silly these antics were.

Eva Luna is a novel written by Chilean novelist Creator/IsabelAllende in 1985 and translated from Spanish to English by Margaret Sayers Peden.

According to Website/TheOtherWiki, Eva Luna takes us into the life of the eponymous protagonist, an orphan who grows up in an unidentified country in South America. While the country's political history, traced through several decades of the mid-20th century, bears many similarities to Chile (the author's original nationality), the geography and social context of the story depict a society more similar to Venezuela (where she was exiled for over a decade).

* ACupAngst: Eva is very slender and lacking curves, and as a young girl she was seriously embarrassed. Being taken in by a MissKitty and her {{High Class Call Girl}}s for a while.

* BreakTheCutie: Rolf Carle, his brother Jochen and their mother through ''Hell'' in post-UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Austria, both for the consequences of the war ''and'' due to the patriarch Lukas's horrible abuse. It takes them several years to get fully better. [[spoiler: And for worse, Jochen actually ''disappears'' when in his teens after snapping on Lukas when he sees him sexually abusing Mrs. Carle, and he's never heard of again.]] Pretty much the only one non-broken (aside of Lukas) is Katharina, and that's because she's oblivious to it due to being mentally handicapped.

** Played straight by Melecio, both in [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} her]] early years [[spoiler: and when in jail.]]

* ChekhovsGun: One of Eva's tasks while working for Riad and Zulema is taking care of Zulema's valious jewelry. [[spoiler: After Zulema dies, Riad tells her that they belong to her. She comes for them ''much'' later and gives her to Mimi, telling her to sell them to get money for her sex-reassignment operation; Mimi decides to wear them instead since she doesn't want to go through the risky operation.]]
* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: The lady from Yugoslavia, who taught Eva how to make very life-like porcelain figures. She uses said knowledge to help the guerrilla make fake bombs to take over a political prison.]]

* GirlInABox: [[spoiler: A bunch of girls who were about to be sold to a prostitution ring are kept in a locked crate with limited air inside. Their ship gets stuck due to bureaucracy and the girls suffocate to death.]]

** Subverted by Eva, who also goes through q her own share of adversity but is somewhat less traumatised.

* InterGenerationalFriendship: Eva has this with several people: Elvira (50's at least), La Señora (40's), Melecio [[spoiler: aka Mimi]] (early to mid 20's [[spoiler: and mid 30's as Mimi]]), Riad Halabi [[spoiler: though her feelings for him go to SecondLove later.]] (40's)

* AnOddPlaceToSleep: Elvira purchases a coffin to be ready for her supposedly upcoming death. She later starts using it as her bed, freaking out the maid of the house. [[spoiler: And she survives a massive flood thanks to this.]]

According to Wiki/TheOtherWiki, Eva Luna takes us into the life of the eponymous protagonist, an orphan who grows up in an unidentified country in South America. While the country's political history, traced through several decades of the mid-20th century, bears many similarities to Chile (the author's original nationality), the geography and social context of the story depict a society more similar to Venezuela (where she was exiled for over a decade).

* CallingTheOldManOut: [[spoiler: When [[GentleGiant Jochen]] and Rolf find out that their dad sexually abuses their mom (via forcing her to [[ShamefulStrip parade naked]] with only a pair of [[NiceShoes red stiletto heels]] on, Jochen [[BewareTheQuietOnes massively snaps]] and beats Lukas severely. Then, with the implicit blessing of Mrs. Carle, he [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere he leaves home]].]]

* CoolBigSis: Melecio is the rare [=MtF=] UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} version. [[spoiler: As Mimi, she cranks it UpToEleven.]]

* CoolBigSis: Melecio is the rare [=MtF=] {{Transgender}} version. [[spoiler: As Mimi, she cranks it UpToEleven.]]

* ACupAngst: Eva is very slender and lacking curves, and as a young girl she was seriously embarrassed. Not helped by being taken in by a MissKitty and her {{High Class Call Girl}}s for a while.

** Subverted by Eva, who also goes through quite the adversity but is somewhat less traumatised.

* BrokenBird: One of Eva's bosses, a woman from the ex-Yugoslavia who was traumatised by the war. Also Rolf's mother and [[spoiler: Melecio, though she gets better.]]

* ChekhovsGun: One of Eva's tasks while working for Riad and Zulema is taking care of Zulema's valious jewelry. [[spoiler: After Zulema dies, Riad tells her that they belong to her. She comes for them ''much'' later and gives her to Mimi, telling her to sell them to get money for her operation; Mimi decides to use them instead since she doesn't want to go through the risky operation.]]

* CoolBigSis: Melecio is the rare [=MtF=] {{Transgexual}} version. [[spoiler: As Mimi, she cranks it UpToEleven.]]

* KissingCousins - OneTrueThreesome: Rolf's first romantic and sexual experiences are with his two cute cousins, who agree to "share" his affection and body when it's obvious that he cannot choose between them. They later take separate ways, but still remember these years fondly.

** Not to mention, while still a bit preachy it's '''far''' less {{Anvilicious}} than Literature/TheHouseOfTheSpirits.

* PatientChildhoodLoveInterest: Eva shows some traits when she falls for Huberto as a pre-teen, and when they get involved after several years she waits for him since he can only visit her counted times. Uncommonly for the trope, [[spoiler: Mimi]] critisizes her when they get together because [[WhatDoesSheSeeInHim she thinks he's not good enough for Eva]]. [[spoiler: It's ultimately averted when they break it off amiably, and she goes with Rolf while he continues fighting in the guerrilla.]]

* SiblingTriangle: Averted with Rolf and his cousins, who go the OneTrueThreesome way instead. According to the narative, the girls already shared pretty much everything up until then so they saw no problem in sharing a lover as long as the three were honest to each other about it.

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Rolf's cousins and first loves. The eldest is a HardDrinkingPartyGirl who can [[OneOfTheboys out-drink males]] and [[ClusterFBomb swears like a sailor]]. The youngest daughter is [[{{Moe}} cuter, girlier]] and described as being quite coquettish.

* {{Transgender}}: Melecio is male-to-female transgender, and has identified as such since she was a male-bodied child. In her own words: "I'm not a man, really. I'm not gay either. I'm a woman. This body is a mistake!" [[spoiler: She ultimately gets her wish and re-invents herself as Mimi, though she stops short from having the full transition since she finds the operation in itself too {{squick}}y and risky.]]

** Played straight by Melecio, both in [[{{Transgender}} her]] early years [[spoiler: and when in jail.]]

* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Zulema, after her single night of love with Riad's cousin Kamal. She's later DrivenToSuicide.]]
** [[spoiler: La Madrina as well. She completely loses her mind and attempts to kill herself via slashing her own throat, but Eva and Mimi save her.]]
* TheDogBitesBack: [[spoiler: Lukas Carle is an horrible SadistTeacher as well as the most abusive patriarch in his hometown... so he ends up beaten and hanged by his own pupils as revenge for his abuse. Since this happens in a tiny village where Carle had a ZeroPercentApprovalRating so to say, ''nobody'' bothers investigating, and it's treated as a quiet version of AndThereWasMuchRejoicing.]]

* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler: Zulema, after her single night of love [[YourCheatingHeart with Riad's cousin Kamal]]. She's later DrivenToSuicide.]]

* WomanInWhite: Mimì at her [[HoneyTrap meeting]] with Aravena.

* CoolBigSis: Melecio is the rare [=MtF=] {{Trans Sexual}} version. [[spoiler: As Mimi, she cranks it UpToEleven.]]

** Played straight by Melecio, both in [[TransSexual her]] early years [[spoiler: and when in jail.]]

* TransSexual: Melecio is a male-to-female one, and has identified as such since she was a male-bodied child. In her own words: "I'm not a man, really. I'm not gay either. I'm a woman. This body is a mistake!" [[spoiler: She ultimately gets her wish and re-invents herself as Mimi, though she stops short from having the full transition since she finds the operation in itself too {{squick}}y and risky.]]

According to TheOtherWiki, Eva Luna takes us into the life of the eponymous protagonist, an orphan who grows up in an unidentified country in South America. While the country's political history, traced through several decades of the mid-20th century, bears many similarities to Chile (the author's original nationality), the geography and social context of the story depict a society more similar to Venezuela (where she was exiled for over a decade).

* ShoutOut: At some point, Eva recalls a Colombian gentleman with huge moustache that sold millions of copies of his novel. GabrielGarciaMarquez says hello.

* BreakTheCutie: Rolf Carle, his brother Jochen and their mother through ''Hell'' in post-WorldWarTwo Austria, both for the consequences of the war ''and'' due to the patriarch Lukas's horrible abuse. It takes them several years to get fully better. [[spoiler: And for worse, Jochen actually ''disappears'' when in his teens after snapping on Lukas when he sees him sexually abusing Mrs. Carle, and he's never heard of again.]] Pretty much the only one non-broken (aside of Lukas) is Katharina, and that's because she's oblivious to it due to being mentally handicapped.

* WorldWarII: Rolf's childhood is set in Austria during the war and after the coming of the Soviet Army, Rolf's father was in the Wehrmacht and sent to forced labor in Ukraine after the war.

* PapaWolf: Eva's boss and ParentalSubstitute, Riad Halabi, is '''pissed off''' when [[spoiler: he finds a half-naked, beaten, borderline unconscious ''and'' BoundAndGagged Eva in the police station, after she's wrongfully ccused of killing Zulema while he's outside the village.]]

* SiblingTriangle: Averted with Rolf and his cousins, who go the OneTrueThreesome way instead.

* TransEqualsGay: Defied. Melecio specifically points out the trope and denies it, even when people refer to her as a gay man instead of the trans-woman she actually is. [[spoiler: As the female-bodied Mimi, she keeps defying the trope via searching for male love interests ([[LookingForLoveInAllTheWrongPlaces though she's not very lucky until almost the end]].)]]

Has nothing to do with the hoonimous soap opera.

* FieryRedhead: Averted by Consuelo, who's a very odd girl and later becomes TheStoic [[SugarAndIcePersonality until Eva is born.]]

NeedsMoreLove! Very much so!

* WorldsmostBeautifulWoman: A certain lady named Mimi is regarded as such. [[spoiler: She is actually Melecio after she reinvents herself.]]