Ines of My Soul - by Isabel Allende (Paperback)

About the Book

Though she was born into poverty, Inâes Suâarez, a seamstress in 16th-century Spain, embodies the same restless hope and opportunism that fuels her nation's conquest of the Americas. Learning that her shiftless husband has vanished, Inâes uses his disappearance to embark on her own adventure. It is a journey will lead her to Pedro de Valdivia--a conquistador who becomes the first royal governor of Chile--and to a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.

Book Synopsis

"Powerfully evocative. . . . Allende is at her best here; spinning words like spells, enthralling the reader with surreal visions of the New World."-- Newsweek

A passionate epic of love, freedom, and conquest, based on historical events, from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and A Long Petal of the Sea.

Though she was born into poverty, Inés Suárez, a seamstress in sixteenth-century Spain, embodies the same restless hope and opportunism that fuels her nation's conquest of the Americas.

Learning that her shiftless husband has vanished, Inés uses his disappearance to embark on her own adventure. It is a journey will lead her to Pedro de Valdivia--a conquistador who becomes the first royal governor of Chile--and to a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.

Review Quotes

"Wonderfully crafted . . . Allende gives Zorro the feel of a folk or fairy tale with her ability to draw readers in, hold their attention and keep the story moving at an exciting pace." - USA Today
"A master storyteller." - San Francisco Chronicle
"Allende projects a woman's point of view with confidence, control, and an expansive definition of romance as a fact of life." - Time magazine
"Allende is a genius." - Los Angeles Times Book Review
"Vivid and convincing...." - Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post
"Meticulously researched." - Library Journal
"A powerfully evocative narrative...Allende is at her best here." - Newsweek
"Solid and well-constructed...Ines is rescued by Allende from history's dust bin." - San Francisco Chronicle
"Might be Allende's best novel, better even than THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS." - Boston Globe
"Allende has given [Ines] an instantly appealing voice...even the most unpliable reader will be hooked." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"A thourough and unflinching account...Allende...keeps the pages turning. It's a joy to see Ines triumph." - Rocky Mountain News
"Allende is a master storyteller at the peak of her powers, as she demonstrates in her latest novel." - Los Angeles Times
"Allende crafts a swift, thrilling epic, packed with fierce battles and passionate romance." - Publishers Weekly
"Brilliant...A beautifully crafted work by one of the finest writers of our time." - Providence Journal
"Vivid...Allende's 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
"Allende's imagination delivers the enchantment. . . . This is one work Allende fans should not miss." - Miami Herald
"Compelling...a complex and truly rich tale" - Baltimore Sun
"Well-grounded...As always, Allende focuses on the story." - Atlantic Monthly
"Allende excels at immersing her readers in the sights, sounds, smells and even flavors of an era. . . . Allende is a voluptuously visceral novelist. . . . Ines Suarez was a woman of great power, and Isabel Allende has honored her with an equally powerful novel " - Sunday Oregonian
"Allende is a master storyteller at the peak of her powers, as she demonstrates in her latest novel . . . we must remind ourselves, over and over again, that it is Isabel Allende and not Ines Suarez who put these words to paper." - Los Angeles Times
"Allende always delivers. This time it's with an enchanting historical fiction about Chile." - American Way
"Allende...has written her surest work since THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS." - USA Today
"engrossing...Fans of Allende's earlier novels will...find enjoyment in INES OF MY SOUL." - Christian Science Monitor
"earthy and ironic." - New York Times
"A colorful and clear-eyed portrait of a woman and a country. . . . Allende creates a riveting journey through a disturbing chapter of South American history." - Chicago Sun-Times
"Riveting...A colorful and clear-eyed portrait...Suarez's story is so fabulous and life-affirming...that it simply captivates" - Chicago Sun-Times
"Thrilling epic...the memoir she ascribes to Ines promotes a more democratic view of how the New World was settled." - Philadelphia Inquirer
"Thoroughly researched...a colorful, entertaining tale of the hardscrabble adventures and desperate deeds of some of our hemisphere's first Europeans" - Elle
"Ines of My Soul is a powerful novel...[Ines] is, in Allende's skilled hands, a wholly human character." - Charlotte Observer
"An elegant work of historical fiction." - Wichita Eagle
"Ines of My Soul is an absorbing and illuminating book." - The Globe and Mail
"Surely one of the most graceful and yet haunting writers alive." - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Possesses the eyes, ears, mind, heart and pluck to manufacture generous and feisty fiction." - Miami Herald
"Allende's keen intelligence and lively prose keep readers wishing for more." - San Diego Union-Tribune
"Fiction about the conquistador experience...can't possibly get better" - Booklist (starred review)