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The Soul of a Woman

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The Soul of a Woman

By: Isabel Allende
Narrated by: Gisela Chipe
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Bloomsbury presents The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende, read by Gisela Chipe.

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'An autobiographical meditation on feminism, power and womanhood … Full of Isabel's wisdom and warm words' – Grazia

'In her small, potent polemic . . . Isabel Allende writes about the toxic effects of “machismo”, combining wit with anger as she picks apart the patriarchy' – Independent

'Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity' – New York Times

An Independent, Guardian and Grazia Highlight for 2021
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The wise, warm, defiant new book from literary legend Isabel Allende – a meditation on power, feminism and what it means to be a woman

When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating.

As a child, Isabel Allende watched her mother, abandoned by her husband, provide for her three small children. As a young woman coming of age in the late 1960s, she rode the first wave of feminism. She has seen what has been accomplished by the movement in the course of her lifetime. And over the course of three marriages, she has learned how to grow as a woman while having a partner, when to step away, and the rewards of embracing one's sexuality.

So what do women want? To be safe, to be valued, to live in peace, to have their own resources, to be connected, to have control over their bodies and lives, and above all, to be loved. On all these fronts, there is much work to be done, and this book, Allende hopes, will ‘light the torch of our daughters and granddaughters with mine. They will have to live for us, as we lived for our mothers, and carry on with the work still left to be finished.’
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'Her thoughts, language and ideas traverse fluidly through ideas of gender, historic injustices, her marriages and bodily experiences and literary references . . . Allende’s love for women is palpable' – Sydney Morning Herald©2021 Penguin Random House LLC Gender Studies Social Sciences Women Marriage
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Critic reviews

In her small, potent polemic . . . Isabel Allende writes about the toxic effects of “machismo”, combining wit with anger as she picks apart the patriarchy
An autobiographical meditation on feminism, power and womanhood . . . Full of Isabel's wisdom and warm words
Her thoughts, language and ideas traverse fluidly through ideas of gender, historic injustices, her marriages and bodily experiences and literary references . . . Allende’s love for women is palpable
Allende has everything it takes: the ear, the eye, the mind, the heart, the all-encompassing humanity
Isabel Allende is a grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight. Her place as an icon of world literature was secured long ago. She will be celebrated, by readers and writers alike, for generations to come (Khaled Hosseini)
All stars
Most relevant
This feels valedictory from a brilliant female author. I listened and read so good through it quite quickly. It’s a good one for a long run. As an older feminist I was interested to read Allende’s even older journey and how her feminism evolved. There is also
Chilean history and insights about her family life and relationships. Ironically it ends at the beginning of the Covid pandemic which I found sad as nearly two years later we are facing lockdown once again.

The spirit of a woman

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i found this book very disappointing- it was part memoir, part her views on feminism but didn't deliver either of them with any depth. I have always loved her style of writing but critical thinking can still be achieved even with a conversational tone, unfortunately it was missing throughout most of the book. if you've never thought about feminism / issues facing women before it's an OK introduction but otherwise I sadly wouldn't recommend

Unsure what this book is supposed to be

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Friendly book, good companion for rainy days in winter, next to a fire please and you favorite beverage.

Excellent

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Just what I needed to give me some joy amidst the difficult facts of life for women all over the globe . Hard-hitting but full of compassion.

Excellent listen

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We know of pain that women suffer.. this book reminds us of the work done and still required

Written with Love and shocking truths

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