Synopses & Reviews
This magisterial work of historical fiction recounts the astonishing life of Inés Suárez, a daring Spanish conquistadora who toiled to build the nation of Chile—and whose vital role has too often been neglected by history.
It is the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and when Inéss shiftless husband disappears to the New World, she uses the opportunity to search for him as an excuse to flee her stifling homeland and seek adventure. After a treacherous journey to Peru, she learns of his death in battle. She meets and begins a passionate love affair with a man who seeks only honor and glory: Pedro Valdivia, war hero and field marshal to the famed Francisco Pizarro. Together, Inés and Valdivia will build the new city of Santiago and wage a ruthless war against the indigenous Chileans. The horrific struggle will change them forever, pulling each toward their separate destinies.
Inés of My Soul is a work of breathtaking scope, written with the narrative brilliance and passion readers have come to expect from Isabel Allende.
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“Surely one of the most graceful and yet haunting writers alive.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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“earthy and ironic.” New York Times
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“Vivid…Allendes reach is broad…Allende succeeds in resurrecting a woman from history and endowing her with the gravitas of a hero.” New York Times Book Review
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“Ines of My Soul is a powerful novel...[Ines] is, in Allendes skilled hands, a wholly human character.” Charlotte Observer
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“Possesses the eyes, ears, mind, heart and pluck to manufacture generous and feisty fiction.” Miami Herald
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“Allendes keen intelligence and lively prose keep readers wishing for more.” San Diego Union-Tribune
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“Thrilling epic...the memoir she ascribes to Ines promotes a more democratic view of how the New World was settled.” Philadelphia Inquirer
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“Allende has given [Ines] an instantly appealing voice...even the most unpliable reader will be hooked.” Minneapolis Star Tribune
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“Riveting...A colorful and clear-eyed portrait...Suarezs story is so fabulous and life-affirming…that it simply captivates” Chicago Sun-Times
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“Solid and well-constructed...Ines is rescued by Allende from historys dust bin.” San Francisco Chronicle
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“A master storyteller.” San Francisco Chronicle
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“Brilliant…A beautifully crafted work by one of the finest writers of our time.” Providence Journal
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“A thourough and unflinching account…Allende...keeps the pages turning. Its a joy to see Ines triumph.” Rocky Mountain News
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“Fiction about the conquistador experience…cant possibly get better” Booklist (starred review)
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“Allende…has written her surest work since THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS.” USA Today
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“Might be Allendes best novel, better even than THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS.” Boston Globe
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“A powerfully evocative narrative...Allende is at her best here.” Newsweek
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“Thoroughly researched…a colorful, entertaining tale of the hardscrabble adventures and desperate deeds of some of our hemispheres first Europeans” Elle
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“An elegant work of historical fiction.” Wichita Eagle
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“Allende is a master storyteller at the peak of her powers, as she demonstrates in her latest novel.” Los Angeles Times
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“Allende is a genius.” Los Angeles Times Book Review
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“Allende crafts a swift, thrilling epic, packed with fierce battles and passionate romance.” Publishers Weekly
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“Vivid and convincing….” Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
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“Meticulously researched.” Library Journal
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“Compelling...a complex and truly rich tale” Baltimore Sun
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“Well-grounded...As always, Allende focuses on the story.” Atlantic Monthly
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“Allende always delivers. This time its with an enchanting historical fiction about Chile.” American Way
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“engrossing…Fans of Allendes earlier novels will…find enjoyment in INES OF MY SOUL.” Christian Science Monitor
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“Allendes imagination delivers the enchantment…this is one work Allende fans should not miss.” Miami Herald
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“Ines of My Soul is an absorbing and illuminating book.” The Globe and Mail
Synopsis
A passionate tale of love, freedom, and conquest from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits, Isabel Allende.
Born into a poor family in Spain, In s Su rez, finds herself condemned to a life of poverty without opportunity as a lowly seamstress. But it's the sixteenth century, the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Struck by the same restless hope and opportunism, In s uses her shiftless husband's disappearance to Peru as an excuse to embark on her own adventure. After learning of her husband's death in battle, she meets the fiery war hero, Pedro de Valdivia and begins a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.
Based on the real historical events that founded Chile, Allende takes us on a whirlwind adventure of love and loss seen through the eyes of a daring, complicated woman who fought for freedom.
About the Author
Isabel Allende is the bestselling author of eleven works of fiction, four memoirs, and three young- adult novels, which have been translated into more than twenty-seven languages with over 57 million copies sold. In 2004 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2012. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.
Nacida en Perú y criada en Chile, Isabel Allende es la autora de nueve novelas incluyendo más recientemente Zorro, Retrato en Sepia, Hija de la Fortuna e Inés del Alma Mía. También ha escrito cuentos cortos, tres libros autobiográficos incluyendo Mi País Inventado y Paula, y una trilogía de libros para jóvenes. Sus libros han sido traducidos a más de 27 idiomas y son bestsellers a través del mundo entero. En 2004, fue nombrada a la Academia de Artes y Letras de los Estados Unidos. Vive en California.