Gordon, a lawyer and writer from San Francisco, married Allende later that year.

In 1988, after finalizing her divorce from Frías, Allende met William Gordon while on a book tour in the U.S. During this time, she began working on the manuscript that would become her first published novel, The House of the Spirits, although it was not actually published until 1982.Īllende’s personal life took a front seat in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which limited her writing output. Knowing that the new regime was already tracking and executing its opponents and their families, Allende fled to Venezuela, where she lived and wrote for 13 years. Soon, however, her mother and stepfather-who had been appointed ambassador to Argentina by President Allende in 1970-were nearly assassinated, and she herself ended up on a list and began receiving death threats. She began helping to arrange safe passages out of the country for people on the wanted lists of the new regime. Salvador Allende, president of Chile at the time and a first cousin of Allende’s father, was overthrown in 1973, which changed Allende’s life forever. DebolsilloĪllende’s burgeoning career was cut short unexpectedly, which put her life in danger but, eventually, led to her finally finding the space to write. Spanish cover of Isabel Allende's 'The House of the Spirits'. Huidobro was sent overseas his posting had their entire family traveling to Lebanon and Bolivia between 19. In 1953, Francisca remarried to Ramón Huidobro, a diplomat. Her mother moved their family to Santiago, Chile, where they lived for nearly a decade. In 1945, when Allende was only three, her father disappeared, leaving behind his wife and three children. At the time, her father was in public service, working at the Chilean embassy. Selected Awards and Honors: Colima Literary Prize, Feminist of the Year Award, Chevalier des Artes et des Lettres, Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, Chilean National Prize for Literature, Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction, National Book Award for Lifetime Achievement, Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award, Presidential Medal of FreedomĪllende was the daughter of Francisca Llona Barros and Tomás Allende and was born in Lima, Peru.

Notable Quote: 'I'm aware of the mystery around us, so I write about coincidences, premonitions, emotions, dreams, the power of nature, magic.'.Children: Paula Frías Allende, Nicolás Frías Allende.Parents: Tomás Allende and Francisca Llona Barros.Known For: Magical realism author and memoirist.

City of the beasts by isabel allende