'A stunningly intimate memoir ... Allende is that rare writer whose understanding of story matches her mastery of language' – Entertainment WeeklyIsabel Allende was raised in her grandparents’ home in Chile. Married at nineteen, she juggled countless jobs all while raising her two children. When the Chilean president, her father’s cousin Salvador Allende, was assassinated in Pinochet’s military coup, she and her family fled to Venezuela. In this wondrous and intimate book, Isabel Allende recounts the events that shaped her and ultimately led to her becoming a writer. Exploring the role of memory and nostalgia in her life, and in her writing, she reflects on the intimate connection she has to her place of origin, and to the charming, idiosyncratic Chilean people with a violent history and an indomitable spirit.