Conversations with Isabel Allende

Offers a collection of interviews, some never before published in English, in which the Chilean author discusses her life and her work, political and social issues, and other concerns.

YA-"I belong to the first generation of writers brought up reading other Latin American writers," says Allende, alluding to the popularity of such writers as Gabriel Garc!a M rquez, Carlos Fuentes, Jorge Borges, and Pablo Neruda. In this compelling collection of 34 chronologically arranged interviews, the Chilean writer comes alive, and the book becomes, in the words of its editor, a "biography on the pulse." Allende discusses her personal, spiritual, political, and literary life. Her reflections on her years of political exile in Venezuela and on the illness and death of her daughter include not only her personal struggle and pain, but also their impact on her writing. Allende talks at length about each of her works, and while most of the interviews have been previously published in scholarly journals, her candor and wit and the relaxed, conversational tone of her responses couch these sophisticated literary discussions in a most palatable form for young adults. The chronological order of the interviews necessitates some repetition, but also gives readers a clear picture of Allende's evolution as a writer from her youth as a journalist to her middle years as a novelist. Most teens will use this work as a reference or study guide, but many will find themselves enthralled with the fascinating story of a politically committed and dedicated writer, mother, and wife.
Cathy Horowitz, W. T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.