Paula

The Story

One of the most popular and acclaimed Latin American authors of our century presents this unforgettable memoir, an exquisitely rendered, deeply moving mother-daughter story that doubles as her autobiography. 'Paula' is a soul-baring memoir one reads without drawing a breath, like a novel of suspense. The point of departure for these moving pages is a tragic personal experience. In December 1991, Isabel Allende's daughter, Paula, became gravely ill and shortly thereafter fell into a coma. During hours in the hospital, the author began to write the story of her family for her unconscious daughter. In the telling, bizarre ancestors appear before our eyes, and we hear both delightful and bitter childhood memories, amazing anecdotes of youthful years, the most intimate secrets passed along in whispers. Chile, Allende's native land, comes alive as well, with the turbulent history of the military coup of 1973, the following dictatorship and her family's years of exile. As an exorcism of death, in these pages Isabel Allende explores the past and questions the gods. The result is a magical book that carries the reader from tears to laughter, from terror to sensuality and wisdom. 'Paula' is a prodigious evocation and a hymn to life, written from the heart of the courageous and estimable woman who created 'The House of the Spirits.'