Maya's Notebook

Hi everyone,

I didn't intend to read two Isabel Allende books in a row, but before I knew it, she had a new book out. The last book I read, The Sum of Our Days, was about 6 months ago, and I hadn't picked up another book until now. Isabel Allende gets me to read.

May 1st, she appeared at an event for National Geographic Live! at the National Geographic Society. I bought a ticket, thinking she was going to talk about her travels because the interviewer, Don George, is editor at-large of Traveler magazine. They are old friends since she contributed to a book he edited called Better Than Fiction: True Travel Tales From Great Fiction Writers. In the event description I saw, they only mentioned his book, not hers. But, when I got there, I found her latest effort, Maya's Notebook, on display and snatched it up.

The heroine of this story is Maya Vidal, a teenager whose life crumbles when her grandfather dies of cancer. Lost without him, she begins to drink and steal. When she runs away from home, she gets into worse trouble, suffering horrific sexual assault, battling alcohol and drug addiction, and entangling in serious criminal activity. To escape the shady characters of her past and impending federal charges, Maya is sent by her grandmother to Chiloe, an island off mainland Chile. With little connection to the outside world, this quiet place helps Maya come to terms with her past and dream of a brighter future.

As with all Isabel Allende books, a cast of colorful characters helps Maya along the way. Burdened by their own problems, she helps her new friends uncover their own histories and hidden connections so that they can all move forward in their lives. The layers of hardship peel off Maya and those around her as she reconnects with who she used to be before tragedy struck and addiction took over. No one starts out that way.

I started this book at a slow pace, impatient to find out why Maya is on a plane, headed to a far off island. But that structure gave way to plenty of  mystery and cliffhangers: The story skips around as Maya writes about her present, past, and family. The reasons for why she is the way she is, where she's been, and where's she's going are revealed when she gets to them. The people she meets along the way are similarly introduced with their co-occurring stories. Soon enough, you won't be able to put the book down. And, don't worry, it'll all comes together as only Isabel Allende can make it.

In person, Isabel Allende is a warm, inviting spirit who chats like she's known you forever. I suppose that's what makes her such a great storyteller. After rattling off a detailed account of this book's wild plot, impressing the interviewer into momentary speechlessness, she quipped, "A good idea, isn't it?" Despite catching a cold while traveling on her book tour, she still made us feel appreciated: "I love to see you. I love this part [of touring]. You all love me, so why wouldn't I want to come here? But getting here is a pain."

And, as usual, she kept us laughing: Acknowledging her best-selling author status, she credited Oprah, who selected her book Daughter of Fortune for her book club. (Read it!) In addition to the initial 150,000 copies of that book already printed, 600,000 more were instantly ordered and ready within the week. She nodded at our gasps, "That shows you the power of Oprah!" When asked whether she missed her privacy since becoming a famous author, she shook her head, "I'm famous among people who read. There are very few. I'm not a rock star."

 Here's an excerpt from the National Geographic Live! event, so you can get a taste for yourself.



I'm disappointed they didn't show here how enamored Don George is with Isabel Allende, which was endearing in the Chris Farley sort of way. Early on, this happened:
Don: "Having you in my life is one of the great treasures and riches of my life."
Isabel: "Oh God! Maybe you are my Plan B!"
Don: "Oh, wow! What an honor! I should put that in my bio!"

If you watched the video above, you know that at the end, he asks her what her dream is. What they edited out is that, after responding, she asks him the same question.
Isabel: And, what is your dream?
Don: For this to go on forever and ever.
Amen to that!

Best,

The Sum of Our Days

Hi everyone,

I didn't know about The Sum of Our Days but found it when my dad and I stopped in the World Bank's bookstore, Infoshop, on our way to lunch. Who knew that the World Bank had such a great bookstore in the middle of D.C. and that inside on sale was a sequel to Isabel Allende's amazing book Paula?

I've read most of Isabel Allende's books. Paula, her 1995 memoir about dealing with her daughter's illness and death, is among my favorites. Of course, whenever I tell someone that, they ask, "Why would you want to read that?" Since The Sum of Our Days continues the story of Isabel's journey, you may ask the same question. But I still highly recommend both books!

Paula Frias Allende suffered from porphyria, a hereditary disease that attacks the nervous system and skin. When she fell into a coma, Isabel started writing her a letter about what she was missing so that she could easily catch up when she awoke. She died in 1992 at age 28.

Obviously, parts of this book are really sad. But, overall, its a moving celebration of Paula's life and her family and their strength in getting through an unimaginable experience. By the time you finish reading, you'll know Paula, her family and friends, and all the lives she touched. They are an entertaining bunch, described by an amazing storyteller. She will make you laugh, no matter how dark this topic sounds. Paula doesn't die until the end. That's when you'll cry.

In The Sum of Our Days, Isabel continues her letter to her daughter 15 or so years later, bringing her up to speed on all that's happened since she left them. Among other interesting stories, I learned all about Isabel's husband Willie, their marriage, and his side of the family. This time, his daughter--who battled drug addiction--made me cry. But, it's okay because plenty of other moments in this story made me laugh too.

In this book, you'll catch up with the members of the Allende family who were introduced in Paula, including Paula's husband Ernesto and her brother Nicolas. You'll also meet new friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, and even surprise relatives. While Paula's memory is a constant presence throughout this book, it's uplifting to read how the family has grown to live without her physically there. They rely on each other now more than ever before and work at strengthening their bonds. It was another kind of joyful celebration, one of inner-strength and the importance of love and family.

Once again, I was sad when this book ended: there were no more pages to read. Isabel Allende is surrounded by her family, who all live in the San Francisco Bay area. By the time I finished reading, I wanted to live there too! It's no wonder she's such a prolific writer, surrounded every day by such a vibrant cast of characters. Don't you want to meet them? Go get these books!

Best,


P.S. Check it out: Isabel Allende is going to be at National Geographic, here in D.C., on May 1st!
Buy yourself a ticket ($22) for this entertaining evening, and I'll see you there!

There is no one like Zorro.

When I'm reading a good book, it's hard for me to do anything else. Isabel Allende may be the author who started this habit. I've been meaning to read Zorro since October--and I was eager to do it since it's the last book in the pile on my floor! (You may remember that I started posting the books I am reading on this blog to motivate myself to get rid of this pile. I've done it--Yay! Now, I need to tackle the unread books in my bookcases.)

I had trouble starting Zorro because I knew I couldn't devote as much time to it as I'd want to. (Would they let me stay home from work because Zorro is trapped on a boat that's just been attacked by pirates?) Once I was relaxed at home for the holidays with nothing much else to do, though, I read this book in about 5 days.

The story begins in 1790 and spans 50 years. Born to star-crossed parents--his father a Spanish military man and his mother a Shoshone warrior--Diego de la Vega spends his mischievous childhood feeding his love for adventure but also witnessing harsh injustices done to the Native Americans by European settlers. While getting a respectable education in Barcelona, Diego focuses most on learning the art of fencing. But it's the constant oppression he sees around him that ultimately leads to the creation of Zorro and the solidity of his legend and legacy.

I've read most of Isabel Allende's books, and I always recommend them. They are full of intricate details and fascinating characters. She is a master storyteller: Her stories are easy to picture in your head, and her books are hard to put done once you get into them. This one is a guaranteed fun ride.

Settle in and enjoy it!