Allende's novels are often based upon her personal experience and historical events and pay homage to the lives of women, while weaving together elements of myth and realism. She has lectured and toured U.S. colleges to teach literature. Fluent in English, Allende was granted United States citizenship in 1993, having lived in California since 1989.
Allende was born in Lima, Peru, the daughter of Francisca Llona Barros called "Doña Panchita" (the daughter of Agustín Llona Cuevas and Isabel Barros Moreira, of Portuguese descent) and Tomás Allende, who was at the time a second secretary at the Chilean embassy. Her father Tomás was a first cousin of Salvador Allende, President of Chile from 1970 to 1973.[11][12][13]
In 1945, after Tomás left them,[11] Isabel's mother relocated with her three children to Santiago, Chile, where they lived until 1953.[14][3] In 1953 Allende's mother married Ramón Huidobro and the family moved often. Huidobro was a diplomat appointed to Bolivia and Beirut. In La Paz, Bolivia, Allende attended an American private school; and in Beirut, Lebanon, she attended an English private school. The family returned to Chile in 1958, where Allende was also briefly home-schooled. In her youth, she read widely, particularly the works of William Shakespeare.[15]
In 1970, Salvador Allende appointed Huidobro as ambassador to Argentina.[3]
While living in Chile, Allende finished her secondary studies and met engineering student Miguel Frías whom she married in 1962.[3] They had two children, a son and a daughter.
Reportedly, "Allende married early, into an Anglophile family and a kind of double life: at home she was the obedient wife and mother of two; in public she became, after a spell translating Barbara Cartland, a moderately well-known TV personality, a dramatist and a journalist on a feminist magazine."[11]
From 1959 to 1965, Allende worked with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Santiago, then in Brussels, and elsewhere in Europe. For a short time in Chile, she also had a job translating romance novels from English to Spanish.[16] However, she was fired for making unauthorized changes to the dialogue of the heroines to make them sound more intelligent, as well as altering the Cinderella ending to allow the heroines to find more independence and do good in the world.[17]
Allende's and Frías's daughter Paula was born in 1963; she died in 1992. In 1966, Allende again returned to Chile, where her son Nicolás was born that year.[18]
Exile in Venezuela
In 1973, Salvador Allende was overthrown in a coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.[19] Isabel found herself arranging safe passage for people on the "wanted lists", which she continued to do until her mother and stepfather narrowly escaped assassination. When she herself was added to the list and began receiving death threats, she fled to Venezuela, where she stayed for 13 years.[11][20] It was during this time that Allende wrote her debut novel The House of the Spirits (1982). Allende has stated that her move from Chile made her a serious writer: "I don't think I would be a writer if I had stayed in Chile. I would be trapped in the chores, in the family, in the person that people expected me to be." Allende believed that, being female in a patriarchal family, she was not expected to be a "liberated" person.[19] Her history of oppression and liberation is thematically found in much of her fiction, where women contest the ideals of patriarchal leaders.[21] In Venezuela she was a columnist for El Nacional, a major national newspaper.[22] In 1978, she began a temporary separation from Miguel Frías. She lived in Spain for two months, then returned to her marriage.[23]
She divorced her first husband, Miguel Frías, in 1987. During a visit to California on a book tour in 1988, Allende met her second husband, California attorney and novelist William C. "Willie" Gordon. They married in July 1988.[24] In 1994, she was awarded the Gabriela Mistral Order of Merit, the first woman to receive this honor. Allende resides in San Rafael, California. Most of her family lives nearby, with her son, his second wife, and her grandchildren just down the hill, in the house she and her second husband vacated.[11] She separated from Gordon in April 2015.[4]
In 2019, she married Roger Cukras, a lawyer from New York.[5][27]
Although not as openly political as some of her contemporary writers, she expressed contempt for Donald Trump and his policies following his election in 2016,[28] and she later endorsed Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 presidential election.[29] She has also regularly defended the record of her father's cousin, Salvador Allende.
Foundation
Allende started the Isabel Allende Foundation on 9 December 1996, in honor of her daughter, Paula Frías Allende, who fell into a coma after complications of the disease porphyria led to her hospitalization.[30] Paula was 29 years old when she died in 1992.[31] The foundation is "dedicated to supporting programs that promote and preserve the fundamental rights of women and children to be empowered and protected."[32]
Beginning in 1967, Allende was on the editorial staff of Paula magazine and the children's magazine Mampato from 1969 to 1974, where she later became the editor.[33] She published two children's stories, "La Abuela Panchita" and "Lauchas y Lauchones", as well as a collection of articles, Civilice a Su Troglodita. She also worked in Chilean television production for channels 7 and 13 from 1970 to 1974.[33] As a journalist, she once sought an interview with poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda agreed to the interview, and he told her that she had too much imagination to be a journalist and should be a novelist instead.[16] He also advised her to compile her satirical columns in book form.[17]:W4 She did so, and this became her first published book. In 1973, Allende's play El Embajador played in Santiago a few months before she was forced to flee the country due to the coup.
During her time in Venezuela, Allende was a freelance journalist for El Nacional in Caracas from 1976 to 1983 and an administrator of the Marrocco School in Caracas from 1979 to 1983.[33]
In 1981, while in Caracas, Allende received a phone call informing her that her 99-year-old grandfather was near death, and she sat down to write him a letter, hoping to thereby "keep him alive, at least in spirit." The letter evolved into a book, The House of the Spirits (1982); this work intended to exorcise the ghosts of the Pinochet dictatorship. The book was rejected by numerous Latin American publishers, but eventually published in Buenos Aires. The book soon ran to more than two dozen editions in Spanish and was translated into a score of languages. Allende was compared to Gabriel García Márquez as an author in the style known as magical realism.[11][34]
Although Allende is often cited as a practitioner of magical realism, her works also display elements of post-Boom literature. Allende also holds to a very strict writing routine.[35] She writes on a computer, working Monday to Saturday, 09:00 to 19:00 "I always start on 8 January", Allende stated, "a tradition she began in 1981 with the letter she wrote to her dying grandfather that would become The House of the Spirits."[36]
Allende's book Paula (1995) is a memoir of her childhood in Santiago and the years she spent in exile. It is written as an anguished letter to her daughter. In 1991 an error in Paula's medication resulted in severe brain damage, leaving her in a persistent vegetative state.[37] Allende spent months at Paula's bedside before learning that a hospital mishap had caused the brain damage. Allende had Paula moved to a hospital in California where she died on 6 December 1992.
Allende's novels have been translated into more than 42 languages and sold more than 77 million copies.[38] Her 2008 book, The Sum of Our Days, is a memoir. It focuses on her life with her family, which includes her grown son, Nicolás; second husband, William Gordon; and several grandchildren.[38] A novel set in New Orleans, Island Beneath the Sea, was published in 2010. In 2011 came El cuaderno de Maya (Maya's Notebook), in which the setting alternates between Berkeley, California, and Chiloé in Chile, as well as Las Vegas, Nevada.
Latino Leaders Magazine called her a "literary legend" in a 2007 article naming her the third most influential Latino leader in the world.[32]
Her work has drawn some negative criticism. In an article published in Entre paréntesis, Roberto Bolaño called Allende's literature anemic, comparing it to "a person on his deathbed", and later called her "a writing machine, not a writer".[39][40][41] Literary critic Harold Bloom said that Allende only "reflects a determinate period, and that afterwards everybody will have forgotten her".[41][42] Novelist Gonzalo Contreras said that "she commits a grave error, to confuse commercial success with literary quality".[43]
Allende told El Clarín that she recognizes she has not always received good reviews in Chile, stating that Chilean intellectuals "detest" her. However, she disagrees with these assessments:
The fact people think that when you sell a lot of books you are not a serious writer is a great insult to the readership. I get a little angry when people try to say such a thing. There was a review of my last book in one American paper by a professor of Latin American studies and he attacked me personally for the sole reason that I sold a lot of books. That is unforgivable.[44]
It has been said that "Allende's impact on Latin American and world literature cannot be overestimated."[32] The Los Angeles Times called Allende "a genius",[32] and she has received many international awards, including the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize,[32] granted to writers "who have contributed to the beauty of the world".[32]
"Isabel Allende – Timeline". Isabel Allende. 2019. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020. 1942: Isabel Allende born August 2 in Lima, where her father, Tomás Allende, a Chilean diplomat and first cousin of Salvador Allende, is stationed. Her mother, Francisca Llona (known as Doña Panchita) is the daughter of Isabel Barros Moreira and Agustín Llona Cuevas.
Walker, Tim (15 November 2015). "Isabel Allende, The Japanese Lover: 'Fiction comes from the womb, not the brain' – book review". The Independent. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016. The Japanese Lover was written before Allende and Gordon separated in April [2015], after 27 years. As she completed the book, she says: "I was ending a marriage that had dragged on too long. It was a time for me to reflect upon love and relationships, romance and passion, ageing, memory, loss. The things that changed the direction of my life have been totally out of my control: my father abandoning me, my mother marrying a diplomat, the military coup, my daughter's death".
"Isabel Allende – Timeline". Isabel Allende. 2019. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020. In July [2019,] Isabel marries Roger Cukras in an intimate ceremony in Washington, D.C.
George, Priya (3 May 2010). "Isabel Allende: "Big Think Interview with Isabel Allende" June 16, 2010"". Big Think. Archived from the original on 21 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2014. Question: Why did you choose to move to the U.S. and become a citizen? Isabel Allende: Yes, I came to the United States because I fell in love and I forced my guy—I forced him into marriage. And so I became a resident. And then I realized that I couldn't bring my children. I couldn't sponsor my children if I wasn't a citizen. So I became a citizen. But by then, I had learned to love this country; I have received a lot from this country. I'm very critical, but at the same time I'm very grateful. And I want to give back. I belong here.
Vengo a Chile por lo menos tres veces al año, me comunico con Chile todos los días a través de Skype con mi mamá, estoy enterada de lo que pasa y cuando me preguntan 'qué eres' digo automáticamente 'chilena'. Vivo en América, pero me siento profundamente chilena en la manera de vivir, de ser: soy mandona, metete, dominante, intrusa, hospitalaria, tribal.
I come to Chile at least three times a year, I communicate with Chile every day through Skype with my mother, I know what is happening and when they ask me 'what are you' I automatically say 'Chilean'. I live in America, but I feel deeply Chilean in the way of living, of being: I am bossy, messy, dominant, intrusive, hospitable, tribal.
"Review: The undefeated: A life in writing: Often compared to Gabriel García Márquez, Isabel Allende is more interested in telling stories about her own life, her difficult upbringing, marriage, and her daughter's death.'"Aida Edemariam. The Guardian (London) p. 11. 28 April 2007 Isabel Allende website
Christian, Shirley (5 June 1990), "Santiago Journal; Allende's Widow Meditates Anew on a Day in '73", The New York Times. Section A; p. 4, Column 3; Foreign Atlas.
Ojito, Mirta (28 July 2003). "A Writer's Heartbeats Answer Two Calls". The New York Times. ISSN0362-4331.. The article notes that Allende has been told that her father left them and that due to Chile's anti-divorce laws, Allende's mother could not divorce Tomás. Her mother, 83 when the article was published, and her stepfather, 87 at the time, have lived together for 57 years, but they are still not recognized in Chile as married.
Carson, Susannah (2013). Living with Shakespeare: essays by writers, actors, and directors. New York. ISBN978-0-307-74291-9. OCLC793578915.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
Ojito, Mirta (28 July 2003). "A Writer's Heartbeats Answer Two Calls". The New York Times. The only relative on her father's side with whom Ms. Allende had remained close was Salvador Allende, the country's democratically elected Socialist president, who died in the military coup of Sept. 11, 1973 led by Augusto Pinochet. Two years later Ms. Allende – by then a wife, the mother of two children and a journalist – fled to Venezuela.
¿Cómo resume su vida de exilio en Caracas? Los chilenos nos beneficiamos de Venezuela como miles de miles de otros de Argentina, Uruguay. En ese momento Venezuela era el segundo país más rico del mundo. Era un país generoso, abierto. Por eso siento mucho dolor con lo que está pasando. Tengo muchos amigos allí, mi hijo se casó con una venezolana, mis nietos nacieron en Venezuela, mi hermano con toda su familia vive en Venezuela. Mis mejores amigos son de Venezuela.
How do you summarize your life in exile in Caracas? We Chileans benefit from Venezuela like thousands of thousands of others from Argentina, Uruguay. At that time Venezuela was the second richest country in the world. It was a generous, open country. So I feel a lot of pain with what is happening. I have many friends there, my son married a Venezuelan, my grandchildren were born in Venezuela, my brother lives in Venezuela with his whole family. My best friends are from Venezuela.
"Isabel Allende". Isabelallende.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2017. 1978 Temporary separation from Miguel Frías. [Isabel Allende] lives in Spain for two months, then returned to her marriage.
"Our Story | Isabel Allende Foundation". The Isabel Allende Foundation. 2014. Archived from the original on 19 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2014. During her short life, Paula worked as a volunteer in poor communities in Venezuela and Spain, offering her time, her dedication and skills as an educator and psychologist. She cared deeply for others. When in doubt, her motto was: What is the most generous thing to do? My foundation, based on her ideals of service and compassion, was created to continue her work.
The list 101 top leaders of the Latino community in the U.S; Cover story. Allen, Kerri; Miller, Corina; Socorro, Dalia; Stewart, Graeme. Latino Leaders p. 24(27) Vol. 8, No. 4 ISSN1529-3998. 1 June 2007.
LATIN AMERICA'S SCHEHERAZADE; Drawing on dreams, myths, and memories, Chilean novelist Isabel Allende weaves fantastical tales in which reality and the absurd intersect. Fernando González. The Boston Globe Magazine; p. 14. 25 April 1993.
Berson, Misha (1 June 2007). "This old "House" opened a lot of doors for Isabel Allende". Theater preview. The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company. p.H44. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2020. 'I wrote that book exactly 25 years ago. It's now the 25th anniversary of the book in Spanish. It opened the door for all my other books'". That is Isabel Allende talking about her breakthrough 1982 novel, "The House of the Spirits". The panoramic work chronicles the historical, mystical and the psychological forces in the life of a South American clan. And a play based on the international best-seller debuts next week [8 June 2007] in Seattle.
Es decir la literatura de Allende es mala, pero está viva, es anémica, como muchos latinoamericanos, pero está viva. No va a vivir mucho tiempo, como muchos enfermos, pero ahora está viva.
In other words, Allende's literature is bad, but it is alive, it is anemic, like many Latin Americans, but it is alive. She will not live long, like many sick people, but she is alive now.
Isabel Allende es una muy mala escritora y sólo refleja un período determinado. Después todos se olvidarán de ella. (Harold Bloom)
Isabel Allende is a very bad writer and only reflects a certain period. Then everyone will forget about her.
Me parece una mala escritora, simple y llanamente, y llamarla escritora es darle cancha. Ni siquiera creo que Isabel Allende sea una escritora, es una escribidora. (Roberto Bolaño)
She seems to me to be a bad writer, plain and simple, and to call her a writer is to give her court. I don't even think Isabel Allende is a writer, she is a hack.
"Hispanic Heritage Awards for Literature". Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on 11 October 2011. Retrieved 11 January 2011. HHA Honorees: 1996; Isabel Allende; Literature; Isabel Allende is the 1996 Hispanic Heritage Award Honoree in Literature. Ms. Allende is the author of several best-selling novels and short stories. She is able to blend her female perspective with the beautiful magic realism of Latin creativity.
Fisker, Trine (28 June 2011). "Allende får H.C. Andersen-pris"[Allende gets H.C. Andersen Prize]. Nyhederne (in Danish). Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2012.
Fysisk rager Isabel Allende ikke særlig højt op i billedet, men gennem mange år har hun haft stor litterær betydning for læsere over hele verden. Derfor er det en stolt priskomité, der fortæller Fyens Stiftstidende, at den chilenskfødte forfatter har sagt ja til i september næste år at modtage H.C. Andersen Litteraturpris 2012 i Odense. ...
Det er anden gang, H.C. Andersen Litteraturpris uddeles til en kvinde med sans for det magiske. I oktober 2010 gik prisen, der er på 500.000 kroner, til den skotske fantasy-forfatter, J.K. Rowling - Harry Potters mor.
Physically, Isabel Allende is not very prominent in the picture, but for many years she has had a great literary significance for readers all over the world. Therefore, it is a proud prize committee that tells Fyens Stiftstidende that the Chilean-born author has agreed to receive the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Prize 2012 in Odense in September next year. ...
This is the second time that Hans Christian Andersen Literature Prize has been awarded to a woman with a sense of magic. In October 2010, the DKK 500,000 prize went to Scottish fantasy writer JK Rowling - Harry Potter's mother.
"Obama awards Presidential Medal of Freedom to 18". San Francisco Chronicle. 24 November 2014. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2014. [President] Obama praised the accomplishments of winners who overcame hardship to achieve success, including novelist Isabel Allende, who was exiled from her home country of Chile by a military government.
"In the Midst of Winter". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 25 March 2020. [A] mesmerizing story that journeys from present-day Brooklyn to Guatemala in the recent past to 1970s Chile and Brazil.
"Paula". Goodreads. Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2007. Written for her daughter Paula when she became ill and slipped into a coma, Paula is the colorful story of Allende's life -- from her early years in her native Chile, through the turbulent military coup of 1973, to the subsequent dictatorship and her family's years of exile.
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Isabel Allende: Tales of passion, 18:00, TED Talks (2007)
