About:
Inés of My Soul (Inés del Alma Mía) by Isabel Allende is a historical fiction book which follows Spanish conquistadora Inés Suarez writing her memoirs on her deathbed. Ms. Allende is a prolific award-winning American-Chilean author.
- 336 pages
- Publisher : HarperVia
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 0061161535
My rating for Inés of My Soul— 5
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Thoughts:
I knew very little about this book when starting to read it. It was on sale, and I always enjoyed Isabel Allende’s work so I figured I’d pick it up. What I immediately discovered was an epic tale about the founding of Chile, one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited.
I didn’t know anything about Inés Suarez before starting this book. The named sounded familiar but I couldn’t quite place it, after I finished the book, I read more about here. I’d like to think that in Inés of My Soul, author Isabel Allende captured her spirit, and also told of the foundation of Chile in a fascinating and entertaining manner.
Through Inés, the author gives honor to the Mapuche and the Yanaconas, the native tribes which the Spanish tried to subdue. She does not shy away from describing the many injustices and cruelties they suffered at the hands of the conquistadors.
The history in the book was fascinating, as I’ve read about conquistadors before, but never about Chile. Most of the books centered on the Inca Empire and Cortez’s exploits. The characters were well written, and Ms. Allende did not feel the need to make the men weak to make her heroine strong. Quite the opposite, Inés is a strong female, and character, in her own right measuring up to, and often surpassing, the strong men surrounding her.
It shows that the author did a tremendous amount of research, even to the point of justifying atrocities in the name of Spain and the church. A very common excuse back then, and sadly still is today.
Synopsis:
Inés is a seamstress in Spain, whose husband, Juan of Málaga, left her for the new world. Inés follows him, only to discover he died.
She ties her fortunes with Pedro de Valdivia, and the two set out to conquer Chile. Inés was a woman ahead of her time, not only brave and not afraid to fight, but also establishing schools, soup kitchens, and hospitals.
Buy Inés of My Soul from Amazon.com*
More Books by Isabel Allende*
Zohar — Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I bought this book
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