I was so impressed with the book The House of the Spirits, I had to know more about the author, Isabel Allende. As a novelist and memoirist, Isabel Allende
writes of passionate lives, including her own. Born into a Chilean
family with political ties, she went into exile in the United States in
the 1970s -- an event that, she believes, created her as a writer. Her
voice blends sweeping narrative with touches of magical realism; her stories are romantic, in the very best sense of the word. Her novels include The House of the Spirits, Eva Luna and The Stories of Eva Luna, and her latest, Ines of My Soul and La Suma de los Dias (The Sum of Our Days). And don't forget her adventure trilogy for young readers -- City of the Beasts, Kingdom of the Golden Dragon and Forest of the Pygmies.
As a memoirist, she has written about her vision of her lost Chile, in My Invented Country,and movingly tells the story of her life to her own daughter, inPaula. Her book Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Sensesmemorably
linked two sections of the bookstore that don't see much crossover:
Erotica and Cookbooks. Just as vital is her community work: The Isabel Allende Foundation
works with nonprofits in the SF Bay Area and Chile to empower and
protect women and girls -- understanding that empowering women is the
only true route to social and economic justice. (taken from an article on TED.)
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I am a writer, educator, musician, and ex-small business owner, living and writing in Vermont I am passionate about writing, women's issues, the arts, and life in general. I love to blog.
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When I first picked up this book for review, I thought that I would be getting an inspirational romance. How wrong I was. And, I am in no way, disappointed. Romance is my preferred genre, but I do dabble in others. I’m glad I got this one. I was also a little put off by the title, but once I read the book I understood and think it was a great choice for her to use it.
Courage of Fear is a hauntingly powerful inspirational fiction novel that will toy with your emotions in ways you cannot fathom. Cleverly written and deftly portrayed, Barbara Boyer creates unforgettable characters with an intense plot-line. Her extensive vocabulary and understanding of the human condition makes for a great read.
The main character in the book, Angela, at one time was an author. At the beginning of each chapter was a segment from her book the character supposedly wrote. I thought this to be an excellent choice. It made the book stand apart from the rest and only added to the potency of the story. The ending, (don’t worry- I won’t spoil it), was phenomenal. I wasn’t expecting that at all. If you’re in the mood for a good laugh, cry, or intellectually stimulating read, I suggest you pick up Courage of Fear.
Reviewer: Kelly Moran, Author
Wonderful book...can't put it down. I'm writing a memoir and reading as many memoirs as I can. This one is great...she's such a good writer. This book has been very helpful to me as a memoir writer, especially in that it is a wonderful example of a writer infusing their memoir with their honest and authentic voice. That has been a challenge for me, but with thought and time and also with lots of blogging I have opened up and have been able to fill the written page with my true voice...not always...but I'm working on it.
So far I find the book wildly imaginative, entertaining and somewhat laborious to read. It's not the kind of book you can skim through or completely relax with, while reading. You have to be alert and ready for twists and turns and an extremely creative story line. Neither is it the kind of book you read in bed at night to make you sleepy. It's like very contemporary modern art...intriguing and original. Henehan plays around with and has great fun with the language, which at times becomes somewhat tedious.
