I’m always on the lookout for new books to read. Whenever I’m at the library or in a bookstore, I treasure the antique feel of old books and handle new books with extreme care. I find the act of reading similar to an adventure; when I find the book I’m looking for, I research the author and read all of his/her other books to get a real feel for their style and works. Reading is one of my favorite things to do in my free time; it relaxes me and gets me thinking about the world around me.

I recently finished reading The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. This fictional/fantasy/magically realistic novel focuses on the women in the del Valle family in Chile. Much of Isabel Allende’s works surround the unfair treatment towards women in Latino societies, and I believe this novel really amplified her beliefs. The novel starts out with Clara the Clairvoyant; she spends much of her childhood in silence after witnessing two men violate her sister. Her silence is broken only when she meets Esteban Trueba, and they marry on Clara’s 19th birthday. Afterwards, the novel spirals into abuse, loss, tragedy, victory, anger, poverty, and much more. I could certainly go on forever about this novel, so I’ll have to stop here before I ruin the entire plot!

Before I began this novel, I watched Allende’s TED Talk, “Tales of Passion,” and it encapsulated her life experiences in dealing with mistreated and abused women. It was really important for me to watch this talk first, because it really got me excited to analyze the novel for all of Allende’s criticisms of human nature and the fault of men in the eyes of women. I believe that the empowerment of women that Allende projects in her novels and TED Talk is unbelievably moving and inspiring. She has become one of my favorite authors to read; I’ve already started on her most recent novel, Maya’s Notebook. If you ever have time or need something new to read, pick up one of Isabel Allende’s books! You certainly won’t regret it.

-Jessica