Allende, a fixture of Latin American storytelling since the publication of The House of the Spirits in 1982, is well qualified to deliver a feminist manifesto. Those who have followed her career are familiar with the number of times she has struggled defiantly to overcome roadblocks in her path.

From the vantage of her 70-plus years, Allende uses the lens of feminism to reflect on her life. Feminist was a role she was destined to fulfill, in spite of the misogyny rampant in her native Chile.

... a bold exploration of womanhood, feminism, parenting, aging, love and more.

... a bold exploration of womanhood, feminism, parenting, aging, love and more.

[Allende] has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters...These are eye-watering achievements, and they belong to a woman more capable, more exceptional, than the series of trivialities, unsubstantiated claims and half-baked ideas making up The Soul of a Woman would suggest.

In just 170 pages Isabel Allende manages to write a humorous memoir, an homage to her family, all of whom seem to have walked off the pages of her delicious novels, and a feminist plea for women’s rights and agency around the globe. The prolific author also reveals her joie de vivre, her resilience, determination, intelligence, and priorities now that she is in her seventh decade. She also shares her foibles and idiosyncrasies honestly and without self-defense.

... a first-hand history of second-wave feminism; it’s a manifesto regarding the rights and value of women; it’s a harangue on the politics of aging, and it’s a memoir of romantic and sensual love. Although brief, the tome covers a lifetime of observations from one of the great masters of literature.

Though her discussion of current issues occasionally missteps, such as her efforts to define gender neutrality, Allende’s fervor for the importance of equality and opportunity for women makes for an overall energizing read.

The popular Chilean novelist shares life's lessons. Approaching 80, Allende offers wise thoughts on aging, romance, sex, love, and, above all, her feminism—which began in kindergarten, when she saw her mother, abandoned with three small children, forced to become dependent on men.

a rich and intimate account of her lifelong commitment to feminism.