The Chicago Public Library Foundation has recognized Isabel Allende for her artistic contribution to modern literature, for which she is being honored with the Carl Sandburg Literary Award. Allende's unique, poetic voice enlivens the literary canon and inspires readers to discover a new world of expression.
The term most often used to describe Allende’s work is “magical realism,” a style of writing where reality and illusion freely mix. In Allende’s stories, helicopters ride whirlwinds, the ocean eats at the earth, figments are conjured by photographs, and music banishes memory. Through it all the reader flits like a hummingbird, sipping Allende’s prose like rare, sweet nectar.
Allende combines evocative imagery with intriguing characters and historically based narratives. Her debut in The House of the Spirits spanned generations and touched on subjects as diverse as magic, dream, childhood, power, war, and revolution. Since this early effort, Allende has continued to author potent narratives that explore life in transition. Maya's Notebook, Allende’s latest novel, follows 19-year-old Maya as she details her broken childhood, descent into substance abuse and crime, and her emotional evolution as she discovers her family history. A suspenseful story that crosses continents and explores cultural definitions of happiness and self-worth, Maya’s Notebook is an exciting addition to Allende’s work, ideal for readers new to the genre.
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