Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende was born in Lima, Peru, in 1942, the daughter of a Chilean diplomat. She worked as a journalist and writer in Chile and became an early advocate for women’s rights. After the 1973 military coup in Chile, she went into exile in Venezuela, where she wrote her first novel, The House of the Spirits (1982), which became an international bestseller. Her other notable works include Of Love and Shadows, Eva Luna, Daughter of Fortune, and Portrait in Sepia. Her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into more than 40 languages. In 2018, she received the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the first person from the Spanish-speaking world to receive the honor.