Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #266820 in Books
• Published on: 2007-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Review
In "The House of Spirits", Allende constructed an allusional tale for the fate of modern Chile. Now she has repeated the trick for the foundation of the country. The result is perhaps her best book since that debut..' Independent Praise for 'Zorro': 'Beautiful and disturbing and profound!told in Allende's characteristically dizzying style' Ian Sansom, Guardian 'Heroism doesn't come more mysterious or more dashing!Pacey and atmospheric, this is a tale of love, rivalry and the pursuit of justice' Mail on Sunday 'The swashbuckling Zorro takes on new life in Allende's saga!never less than entertaining.' Margaret Walters, Sunday Times 'Isabel Allende leaves few swashes unbuckled as she gives Diego's saga a smooth, limpid flow. Highly entertaining.' Independent

Chilean author Allende (Zorro, 2005, etc.) recounts the life of a national heroine in this historical novel.Ines Suarez was born in a small Spanish village in 1507. By the time she died, in 1580, she had journeyed to the New World, become the lover of the first governor of Chile and defended the city of Santiago when it was attacked by natives. The conquistadora's life was full of daring, intrigue and passionate romance, but much of the excitement of this extraordinary woman's adventure is lost in Allende's version. In a bibliographical note, the author explains that she spent several years doing research for this novel. It shows, unfortunately, as she frequently assumes a voice more suited to an encyclopedia: "The isthmus of Panama is a narrow strip of land that separates our European ocean from the South Sea, which is now called the Pacific." Such information ultimately overwhelms the story. Character development happens in dry, rushed bursts of exposition, and Allende frequently chooses cliche over real description: "My relationship with Pedro de Valdivia turned my life upside down. . . . One day without seeing him and I was feverish. One night without being in his arms was torment." The narrative device that Allende has chosen-the novel is a letter from Suarez to her adopted daughter-is boring and distracting. Suarez frequently includes information that her adopted daughter surely would have known; she manages to transcribe whole conversations to which she was not privy; and many of the historical details-casualty statistics from the sacking of Rome in 1527, for example-seem much more like something the author found in a reference work than anything her protagonist was likely to have been privy to.Turgid and detached-homework masquerading as epic. (Kirkus Reviews)

New Statesman
'Fresh and provocative looks at this fascinating period of
history.'

Glasgow Herald
'Writing about her homeland...she brings to her work a passion and
commitment worthy of her vividly drawn characters.'

Customer Reviews

Bloodthirsty tale.
These are fictional memoirs of Ines Suarez who was the first Spanish woman to live in Chile in the 1500s. The historical details in this book are astounding, and some of the tales are extremely bloodthirsty and brutal to read. To think that some of the events they describe actually took place is almost inconceivable. Allende has a marvellous way with words and her writing style is so easy to read.

Passionate, breathtaking and bloodthirsty, this is historical fiction at is very best.

A must for Allende fans
If you liked A Portrait in Sepia and Daughter of Fortune, you will almost certainly appreciate this tale, which as the other reviews say, is hard-hitting and passionate. For me this was a welcome return to Allende's more usual punchy style of story telling, which The City of Beasts etc. sadly lacked. Great stuff!

The Sum of our Days
I have read almost all of Allende's books-The Sum of our Days is a follow up of family events following her book PAULA, a riveting account of her beloved daughter's tragic death.

I have laughed and cried whilst reading this book. Allende's talent for writing is amazing. She remains her passionate, volatile self and is humble enough to admit her very human failings. I always say I've put 2 lifetimes into my one, Allende has put 4 into hers!