Isabel Allende: A Fantastic Author’s Life

Isabel Allende is a Chilean author whose work has been translated into 35 languages. With more than 70 million books sold, she is considered  one of the most widely read Spanish-language authors. She is also the daughter of diplomat Tomás Allende Pesce – cousin of former Chilean President Salvador Allende, who was ousted in a military coup on September 11, 1973.

Through her writing, Isabel Allende reveals the sublime beauty of everything feminine, and magically evokes these often repressed and latent qualities in her readers.

During a time of great political chaos, she chose literary activism against patriarchal ideological guidelines, and gave women a great manifesto against their own personal awakening and self-discovery.

With exquisite sensitivity, Isabel Allende has been able to  convey an unconditional love for beauty,  for everything beautiful in the world and in people. In all honesty, one’s soul can get wings from reading or listening to her work.

Allende always focuses on making the world a better place. She is more than a writer – she is an activist who uses love and beauty as her weapons. In this article we will talk about her journey and some of her work. Our purpose is to honor this great woman, who has inspired so many.

Her previous years

Allende was born in Lima, Peru, where she lived while her father worked as a diplomat. Her parents later divorced, and as a consequence she moved to Chile with her mother and siblings. For a time, they lived in their grandfather’s house. This man was an authoritative figure who influenced Isabel regarding important aspects of her life. After finishing her studies, she married her first husband, Miguel Frías, with whom she had two children: Paula and Nicolás.

In 1967, Isabel  became editor of  Paula –  a magazine for women. Her articles focused on the role that women played in Chilean society. They were laughingly ironic, and because of the very controversial. At that time, many changes took place in Chile. There was a modern revolution and a movement regarding the liberation of women in the Catholic, conservative and patriarchal society.

Her career and exile

After the famous military coup, Isabel Allende was forced  into exile in Venezuela. She lived in that country for 13 years, where she worked for a newspaper and at a school. During her stay in the country, she was informed that her grandfather was in poor health.

Unable to return to Chile, Isabel began writing a letter that became an unparalleled literary success for Latin American women: The  House of Spirits. In 1993, Bille August interpreted her work on the white canvas, and it was a great success.

After the success of her first novel, Isabel wrote two more, which again became great successes:  Love and Shadow  and  Eva Luna. Shortly after the release of the third novel, Isabel decided to leave her job at the school and devote herself entirely to writing.

After divorcing her first husband, she married American lawyer William Gordon and moved to the United States. She has lived there since 1988.

The death of her daughter Paula and her awakening

In 1992  , her daughter Paula died tragically  at the age of 28 in a hospital in Madrid. This greatly affected Isabel, so much so that she ended up in a state of deep sorrow and anguish that she did not seem to be able to get out of. During this long and painful period, Isabel wrote  Paula –  a tribute to her beloved daughter. It became another big hit thanks to the number of women who identified with it.

Just like the House of Spirits,  Paula  began  as a letter, a declaration of love and at the same time a way for her  to learn to accept her daughter’s death. She started writing while taking care of her daughter in the hospital. Paula  is not just a letter to her daughter, but an autobiographical narrative through which Isabel Allende tells her family’s story.

Allende released everything in his novel. The narrative follows her situation in the country, her family drama, travels, etc. On many occasions she has commented on the healing power of writing, and that it has helped her to cope with the things she has experienced.

Through  Paula  , we perceive how Allende herself accepts the circumstances and the death of her daughter. It can be said that  Paula was  in a way a therapeutic act and a return to reality.

But the money she received from the book, she created the Isabel Allende Foundation as a tribute to her daughter. Four years later, Isabel Aphrodite  wrote  as she overcame her depression. This book is about celebrating life: feeling alive and enjoying the senses. Many people see  Aphrodite  as a “song of life”, where  the main notes revolve around gratitude and sensuality.

The fantastic reflection of femininity

All of Isabel Allende’s works remind us of Dante’s beloved muse Beatrice (Bice). She was a lady who only through her existence made her beloved better. She referred to the women who served as a reflection of those who loved them; the so-called “great others” through which one connects with one’s divine nature.

The source behind the mirror where creativity, inspiration and the best aspects of oneself radiate, is raised and goes beyond human potential. Dante saw her Beatrice like this.

In both a personal and professional way, Isabel Allende has managed to transform this traditional archetype from Dante. With her literary work, she created a new mirror that reflects women who  selflessly fall in love with themselves.

Through Isabel’s work, we find a plethora of female protagonists. In the city of the Beast  , for example  , women are not the main role, but play a fundamental role. To this we must add that the woman in the  city ​​of the Beast,  but that nothing stops her in spite of that.

Another crucial element of this Chilean writer is her reflection on Latin America. Their customs, traditions, existing duality and indigenous tribes always inspire her. Isabel Allende appreciates  the beauty of the world  and the charming aspect of every society.