Allende, Isabel

Exhibiting remarkable insight into the human condition, Latin American author Isabel Allende fills this program with the same passion and intelligence found in her many novels. Allende confronts issues that trouble not only South and Central America but the planet as a whole, using her poetic voice to articulate compelling views on immigration, religious fundamentalism, the exploitation of women and children, and the resilience of feminism. The author of The House of the Spirits and Of Love and Shadows also discusses how Chilean democracy, made vulnerable by a kind of national amnesia, succumbed to Augusto Pinochet’s military dictatorship. (Spanish with English subtitles, 25 minutes)

Called "a novel of force and charm" by The Washington Post and "sharply observant" by The New York Times, The House of the Spirits earned Isabel Allende paeans of praise, making its author the most unexpected sensation from Latin America since the emergence of Gabriel García Márquez. In this classic interview, award-winning writer Isabel Allende discusses why she turned to writing novels, the impact of Chile’s 1973 coup, her life as an émigré, and her recurring literary theme of exile. Although at peace with her life abroad, she also describes her longing for her homeland, which continues to take up space in her life. (46 minutes)