My Name Is Emilia del Valle

The novel opens on Emilia Del Valle’s seventh birthday, April 14, 1873. Her mother, Molly Walsh, takes her to have her photograph taken. They then go see the head of Joaquín Murieta, a bandit whose head was preserved in a jar, a moment that gives Emilia nightmares. They live in the Mission District of San Francisco, surrounded by German, Irish, and Italian immigrants and the Mexicans who have long inhabited California.

The next day, they go up to a wealthier part of the city. At his home, Molly asks to see Gonzalo Andrés del Valle, Emilia’s biological father, but he is not there. He lives in Chile and occasionally visits San Francisco. The gate attendant promises to send Molly’s letter to del Valle, and she agrees. In the envelope are a picture of Emilia and a letter.

Emilia explains that she knew her father was a rich Chilean man and that she could inherit his money, though her mother and stepfather had little wealth. She had a wonderful childhood and confesses to worrying that her father would one day force her to leave her mother and stepfather.

Emilia recounts the story of her mother’s life. Molly’s father brought her to San Francisco in 1849 during the Gold Rush.