A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

Spain is being torn apart by a vicious civil war. Soon, all of Europe will be involved but now the Dalmau family must escape by whatever means necessary even if it means leaving their homeland behind. It is all Victor can do to help his mother, himself and his brother's pregnant girlfriend out of Spain. They suffer in the horrible refugee camps almost as much as the war but by chance find passage to Chile thanks to a well-known poet who has managed to find a ship to carry the refugees to safety. Their life in Chile will be fruitful and as tumultuous as Spain. Family, politics and raw human frailty as well as incredible strength - it is all here and told in the poetic language that is all Isabel Allende.