The Soul of a Woman

Isabel Allende's The Soul of woman is a wonderful work written in a racy style showing the unfolding of creative and rebellious spirit . She sees her mother Panchita as a victim of circumstances, spurned by her husband. Isabel ' mother warned her about her ideas of feminism. But Isabel remains steadfast , faces male aggression, retaliates in kind and defines her self in her own terms. From being secretary copying forest statistics to an internationally acclaimed novelist , her assiduous journey is laudable and she credits her mother, uncle Ramon and her grand father Agustin as prop in her rise. She has fought against crippling influences of religion, family and followed her heart despite setbacks and describes herself as an' incurable romantic' and married third time when she was in her seventies. Passion, devotion and her mentor Carmen helped her realize her creative soul. She has left Chile, her native land fallen under Pinochet dictatorship, travelled a lot and finally settled in California. She has Ulyssesean spirit in deciding to remain physically, mentally and financially autonomous till the end. She wants deep changes wrought by women themselves and opposes violence against women in any form. Her visit to Rajasthan where she was offered a baby girl by her mother shocked and haunted her leading to foundation in memory of her own daughter Paula. As an incorrigible optimist, Isabel yearns for a world based on freedom, sustainability, peace, equality , empathy, beauty and joy. A heart touching work indeed!

Sehr empfehlenswert und nettes kleines Buch. Liest sich gut auch, wenn mal ein Wort nachgeschlagen werden muss.

I learned about Isabel Allende through Julie Louis-Dreyfus' new podcast 'Wiser Than Me' (on Lemonata). As I listened to the podcast, I became inspired and enraptured by Allende, and I promptly ordered several of her books so I could read them and experience her through her words. And what an experience that is turning out to be! It didn't take me long to read 'The Soul of A Woman', which as a writer, offered me a unique guide to memoir writing, storytelling, and how to weave feminism/manifesto into one book! The writing is accessible and the story (about her history of and commitment to feminism) was easy to follow. There was a section that was quite heavy on stats and realities about violence against women, sex trafficking and rape that was difficult to get through because of my own ignorance, but I needed that. I needed the impact of the stats, and to be held accountable for my ignorance. Allende's teaching-through-sharing is impactful, poignant and necessary. I look forward to meeting her in the page of her other books! Thank you, Isabel.

Thoroughly enjoyed Isabel Allende's sort of biography. I love her writing even more now. She opened my eyes up to women's situations. it was like having a coffee with a friend. I wonder if she had met her current husband years ago she would have had the fire of injustices inside her to write. Just a thought, she sounds so happy now.

I have only read a few of Isabel Allende's novels; however, I just finished reading the hardcover edition of "The soul of a Woman" and enjoyed it very much. This is an informative and fascinating account of her intellectual and emotional journey, where even as a young child she became aware of the abuses of people, most especially women. Besides becoming an award-winning writer, all her life she has fought for human rights. If you are a fan of Isabel Allende's books you will love this revealing memoir. Rating: 4 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Zen Poetry Moments: Haiku and Senryu for special occasions).