The Soul of a Woman

December 1, 2020
From the vantage of her 70-plus years, Allende (A Long Petal of the Sea, 2020) uses the lens of feminism to reflect on her life. Feminist was a role she was destined to fulfill, in spite of the misogyny rampant in her native Chile. It was also a role she was cautioned against by her mother, stepfather, and beloved grandfather, yet the empirical logic behind becoming and being her own woman was one that she could not shake. Independence of spirit fueled Allende's ambition, the desire to witness as strong as that to write. Allende's transformative approach to feminism is visceral and, not surprisingly, lyrical. It is "like the ocean," she writes, moving "in waves, currents, tides, and sometimes in storms." In a narrative that is part memoir and part manifesto, Allende both rails against and embraces aging, making peace with the adjustments she's made and celebrating life's joys and accomplishments as measured against a life well lived. A crisp and buoyant unburdening, Allende's philosophical treatise on women's issues is unabashedly passionate and personal, as befits one of the world's most beloved authors and journalists.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Allende is a beacon, weaving feminism into her novels, and her first nonfiction book in years will garner media coverage and reader curiosity. Women in Focus: The 19th in 2020

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January 1, 2021
The popular Chilean novelist shares life's lessons. Approaching 80, Allende offers wise thoughts on aging, romance, sex, love, and, above all, her feminism--which began in kindergarten, when she saw her mother, abandoned with three small children, forced to become dependent on men. "I became obsessed with justice," writes the author, "and developed a visceral reaction to male chauvinism." Angry and often rebellious, Allende was "expelled from school--run by German Catholic nuns--at age 6, accused of insubordination; it was a prelude to my future." Thankfully, her doting grandfather, although "the unquestionable patriarch of the family," encouraged her abilities; "he understood the disadvantages of being a woman and wanted to give me the tools I needed so I would never have to depend on anyone." Married at 20 and soon a mother of two, Allende felt stifled until she joined the staff of Paula magazine, where writing provided an outlet for her restlessness. The author charts the evolution of her own "fluid, powerful, deep" feminism as it relates to her self-image. While she refuses "to submit to the Eurocentric feminine ideal--young, white, tall, thin, and fit," she does "jump out of bed an hour before everybody else to shower and put on makeup because when I wake up I look like a defeated boxer." Now happily married to her third husband, Allende claims that "love rejuvenates" and that after menopause, life gets easier, "but only if we minimize our expectations, give up resentment, and relax in the knowledge that no one, except those closest to us, gives a damn about who we are or what we do." Buoyed by the "spiritual practice circle" she dubs the "Sisters of Perpetual Disorder" and involved in a foundation dedicated to empowering vulnerable women and girls, Allende is ultimately joyful: "My theory and practice is to say yes to life and then I'll see how I manage along the way." A pithy, upbeat memoir by a self-described romantic feminist.

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January 25, 2021
Allende (A Long Petal of the Sea) presents a rich and intimate account of her lifelong commitment to feminism. For Allende, feminism is “a philosophical posture and a rising against male authority.” She further clarifies that patriarchy is “stony,” while feminism is fluid and “like the ocean, never stays quiet.” The book’s biographical details include Allende’s youthful fight for equality in sports; her early years as a journalist in Chile in the 1960s and ’70s; profiles of her beloved mother and chauvinist stepfather; and a tribute to legendary literary agent Carmen Balcells (“my mentor and my friend”), who helped Allende enter the male-dominated world of Latin American literature with the publication of her debut novel, The House of the Spirits, in 1982. Allende also memorializes her daughter, Paula, who died at age 29, and describes the foundation she started in Paula’s honor to “invest in the power of vulnerable women and girls.” Allende also discusses her three marriages and proudly takes on the mantle of “emboldened” grandmother: “We have nothing to lose and therefore are not easily scared.” This spirited call for women to continue fighting for “a joyful world” will resonate with Allende’s many fans.

February 1, 2021

Having written about her turbulent life in three previous memoirs (Paula, My Invented Country, and The Sum of Our Days), Chilean-born author Allende takes a more concise approach in her newest nonfiction work. While still touching on various high and low points of her life (her youthful clashes against patriarchal mindsets; her literary career; her friendships, marriages, and children), she skims past personal history in favor of giving greater space to her wider reflections on feminism, aging, marriage and sex, and zeal for work and life. Allende also considers the influence of her grandfather, who insisted she stay quiet and tend to her family. Though her discussion of current issues occasionally missteps, such as her efforts to define gender neutrality, Allende's fervor for the importance of equality and opportunity for women makes for an overall energizing read. VERDICT Those looking for in-depth stories of Allende's earlier life will need to turn to her earlier works, but this passionate memoir presents a vibrant portrait of the current-day author and her thoughts on the future of women, and will be highly appreciated by fans of her works.--Kathleen McCallister, William & Mary Libs., Williamsburg, VA

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