Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


In the beginning, Amanda did not have her own character.

Ripper by Isabel Allende

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This is a more or less recent novel by the Chilean novelist Isabel Allende, written in Spanish and translated into English. It feels like a departure from her other works, which I tend to understand as historical fiction or magical realism/serious fiction. It’s a kind of murder mystery about serial killer stalking the streets of San Fransisco, and because she is a more famous and lauded novelist, there’s more to it than that. The title of the novel comes from an online group who play […]

“All tyranny is abominable.”

Zorro by Isabel Allende

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As a kid growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, The Family Channel’s “Zorro” was must-watch-tv. While “Batman: The Animated Series” would eventually take over as my favorite hero show when I became a hardened and cynical fourth grader, Zorro has always held a special place in my soul. Yes, my soul. Zorro is hero descended from Spanish and Native Americans, born to help. And, to help with panache. You can imagine the impact that would have on a little Hispanic boy. In a way, […]

Life is a Multitude of Stories

Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

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The book follows the life of Eva Luna, an orphan that has to fend for herself from an early age on. Growing up she meets a cast of colourful characters and later on becomes tangled up in the political turmoil affecting her country. She is a gifted storyteller, that uses her talent to better cope with the hardships of life and to entertain people. The characters in this book are fantastic, I thought that most of them were multifaceted and exceedingly human, especially in the […]

History, politics and soap opera are a great combination

The House of the Spirits: A Novel by Isabel Allende

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Isabel Allende’s debut novel from 1982 is a sweeping historical drama set in Chile, though that country is never named. This is the story of multiple generations of one family as they deal with political upheaval and unrest, culminating in a right wing military dictatorship known for its human rights atrocities. Told from the points of view of the Trueba family patriarch Esteban and his granddaughter Alba, The House of the Spirits takes the reader from poverty stricken city streets, to mines and rural areas, […]

An unending tale of sorrow, blood, and love

The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

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I’ve read a number of books by Isabel Allende, and I’m sure I’ll read more. However, I didn’t know about The House of the Spirits (1982) until I saw it on my 50 Books Every Woman Should Read Before She Turns 40 List. As Allende’s first novel, it seems quite personal in nature. Apparently, Allende began writing it as a letter to her 100-year-old grandfather when she heard he was dying. There are some parallels with her real life. The House of the Spirits is pretty dense and comes […]

This didn’t even get me a bingo

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Bingo Square: White Whale The House of the Spirits tells the story of three generations of the Trueba family. The patriarch Esteban and his wife Clara, who has ‘spiritual’ tendencies and foresees the future, their daughter Blanca who falls in love with a man her father despises, and Alba, the granddaughter Esteban adores. The book also covers the political upheavals of Chile and how that impacts the family. I haven’t read any Allende before, even though I’ve been meaning to, so this seemed a good […]



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