Mar 15, 2010

Author Appreciation Week: Isabel Allende



My first pick for #AAW is Latin American author Isabel Allende.
Isabel has written over 17 novels and papers, three of which are YA -she wrote them for her grandkids- and I just love her prose.
The first book of hers I read was La Suma De Los Días (The Sum Of The Days), an autobiographical novel. Although it is an Adult book, I enjoyed it inmensely.
Most of her books are tinged with her own history: growing up during the Chilean dictatorship is a common subject in her books.
Books like The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadow, are books that fit this theme, and are also among my favourite books of all time.
These books will make you sad, happy, angry; and by the end you'll be thinking about them even when you don't mean to.
Love is always present in Isabel's books. That passion in them is another thing that makes me love her work. I've yet to find another author that can write as passionately as her.
Even if you don't like Adult books, I can guarantee you this: you won't be disappointed by Isabel.

Moving on to her YA trilogy.

These books are a great introduction if you've never read her, but I highly recommend her other books too.

  • “The City of the Beasts” 2002



  • “Kingdom of the Golden Dragon” 2003



  • “Forest of the Pygmies” 2005



  • This trilogy focuses on 14 year-old Alex, his grandmother and Nadia, a friend they make along the way.
    Alex's grandma writes for a travel magazine (forgive me Isabel if I'm mistaken, it's been a while), and takes him with her on her journeys across the globe. On their first trip, they meet Nadia. And together they find the City of the Beasts. They later travel to the Himalayas to unravel the mystery of the Golden Dragon. In the last installment, Nadia and Alex -or Eagle and Jaguar, as these are their animal spirits- go to the jungle in Kenya where they "discover a clan of Pygmies who unveil a harsh and surprising world of corruption, slavery and poaching."*

    These adventurous books are a great way to start reading Isabel's work.

    *from IsabelAllende.com

    2 monkey thought (s):

    Tales of Whimsy said...

    She's so lovely! I love her necklace. I need to read House of Spirits some time.

    April (BooksandWine) said...

    Isabel Allende is great! Granted, I've only read Daughter of Fortune, I found it to be fantastic, and I really admired Eliza :-D

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