Isabel Allende—“la Famosa” to her fellow Chileans—is the world’s most widely read Spanish language author. Her career coincides with the emergence of multiculturalism and global feminism, and her powerfully honest, revelatory works touch the pulse points of humankind. Her bravura study of the interwoven roles of women in family history opens the minds of outsiders to the sufferings of women and their children during years of social and political nightmare. This reference work provides an introduction to Allende’s life as well as a guided overview of her body of work. Designed for the fan and scholar alike, this text features an alphabetized, fully-annotated listing of major terms in the Allende canon, including fictional characters, motifs, historical events and themes. A comprehensive index is included.

Mary Ellen Snodgrass is an award-winning author of English and Latin textbooks and reference works for 35 years. She taught at Hickory High School and Lenoir Rhyne University in North Carolina for 23 years. Her writing focuses on women’s and world literature and history and general research topics, including epidemics, the history of money, clothing, food, and dance. She lives in Hickory, North Carolina.

Mary Ellen Snodgrass
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 360
Bibliographic Info: glossary, appendices, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2013
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7127-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-0172-4
Imprint: McFarland
Series: McFarland Literary Companions

Acknowledgments  vi

Preface  1

Introduction  3

Chronology of Allende’s Life and Works  5

Allende Genealogy  27

Isabel Allende: A Literary Companion  29

Glossary  305

Appendix A: Historical Timeline from the Allende Canon  310

Appendix B: Writing and Research Topics  315

Bibliography  321

Index  339

• “An expertly crafted study guide and tribute to the works of Isabel Allende. The entries are rich in relevant historical detail, insightful literary criticism, and reflections on Allende’s place among contemporary writers of serious fiction. Snodgrass provides her readers with engaging essays on specific Allende writings…an erudite, affectionate, and wonderfully rich treatment of Isabel Allende and her work”—Booklist

• “Engrossing…superb, innovative…highly recommended”—Choice