From the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea comes “a bold exploration of womanhood, feminism, parenting, aging, love and more” (Associated Press).“The Soul of a Woman is Isabel Allende’s most liberating book yet.”—Elle“When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating,” begins Isabel Allende. As a child, she watched her mother, abandoned by her … a child, she watched her mother, abandoned by her husband, provide for her three small children without “resources or voice.” Isabel became a fierce and defiant little girl, determined to fight for the life her mother couldn’t have.
As a young woman coming of age in the late 1960s, she rode the second wave of feminism. Among a tribe of like-minded female journalists, Allende for the first time felt comfortable in her own skin, as they wrote “with a knife between our teeth” about women’s issues. She has seen what the movement has accomplished in the course of her lifetime. And over the course of three passionate 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 feeds the soul of feminists—and all women—today? To be safe, to be valued, to live in peace, to have their own resources, to be connected, to have control over our bodies and lives, and above all, to be loved. On all these fronts, there is much work yet to be done, and this book, Allende hopes, will “light the torches 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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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.
Even at 78 years of age, Allende’s writing has page turning quality. Once I started this short book, I couldn’t put it down until I’d finished it. The writing aside, I’m left with ambivalent feelings about the content.
Her passion for her cause (feminism and women’s rights) is clear: her writing is never more alive than when she’s expounding on the dreadful sufferings of many women across the globe in countries with little or no rights. Even though it can’t save every oppressed woman, her foundation makes a real difference to thousands of individual women and that is a noteworthy achievement few people can lay claim to.
However, there was an element of confusion and disorder in the book; very much a rambling narrative that kept circling round to the favourite passion of her youth: patriarchy and how to destroy – if not annihilate – it.
Ultimately, its a pity Allende appears to be struggling with accepting that, like the old brand of feminism itself, her time is past. When talking about her grandchildren, she remarks, “I hate it when they talk of “your time.” This is my time!”
While in a way I can agree with that cry from the heart, that cry for relevance and meaning in one’s life no matter what our age, in another way, no-one can fight the passage of time and the changing social mores of each generation.
Allende served her time with great distinction and courage: but the feminism of today needs adjustments, it needs checks and balances to make sure the suffering of the true victims of a malignant patriarchy (those women who still today are subjected to genital mutilation or who, like Malala Yousafzai, are refused education because they are women) is not appropriated for less noble purposes by modern women who have merely been taught that they are victims of an evil patriarchy without actually having experienced the real suffering. I live in a country where people – both male and female – go to bed night after night having had NO food; yet someone like the “feminist activist” Meghan Markle claims poverty because “eating out was something special”. [Note 1]
Allende raises the rallying battle cry of “Enough of euphemisms. Enough of partial solutions. Profound changes are needed in society and it’s us, women, who can impose them. Remember that no one gives us anything. We have to seize what we want. We need to create global awareness and get organized. Now, more than ever before, this is possible because we have information, communication, and the ability to mobilize.”
Yet, a few pages later she says, “We want a world of beauty, not only that which the senses appreciate, but also the beauty perceived by an open heart and a clear mind. We want a pristine planet protected from all forms of aggression. We want a balanced and sustainable civilization based on mutual respect, and respect for other species and for nature. We want an inclusive and egalitarian civilization free of gender, race, class, and age discrimination, and any other classification that separates us. We want the kind of world where peace, empathy, decency, truth, and compassion prevail. Above all, we want a joyful world. That is what we, the good witches, want. It’s not a fantasy, it’s a project. Together we can achieve it.”
I couldn’t help asking myself if Allende’s vision of joyful world – birthed from her defiant battle cry to “end the patriarchy, an ancient institution that exalts masculine values (and flaws) and represses the female half of humanity” has only the potential to be another Animal Farm rather than a world that, irrespective of gender, has learnt to respect and embrace individual differences. In today’s world, gender based violence is not only male-on-female; sadly statistics show that women are increasingly capable of domestic violence against men [Note 2] and, even more worryingly, that the % of girl bullies is on the increase [Note 3].
If Allende could have left 21st century feminism to the new feminists and focused only on a new passion (such as ageism, on which she wrote a few snippets with poignant eloquence) “THE SOUL OF A WOMAN would have been deeply inspiring rather than sad.
Despite many powerful moments in the text, I felt as if I’d watched a prize fighter, a world champion, past her best, struggling to cling to her glory days, yet not quite making it.
Note 1: Meghan Markle “Paid Leave for All”
Note 2: Domestic Violence Against Men
Note 3: “Girl Bullies on the Increase
I’ve always enjoyed reading autobiographies. I enjoy getting an insight to the people I’m reading about as well as learning from the life lessons that they are sharing.
The Soul of a Woman was a very interesting read and I learned a lot about the life of Allende as well as an in depth look and explanation of feminism from her point of view. Her life wasn’t always easy but she was a strong girl who turned into a strong woman who stood up for herself and those around her.
There is a lot to learn from reading The Soul of a Woman, in particular how we need to strive to be the best that we can be and to always go for what we want in life.
Such an excellent writer. Allende never disappoints!
It was awesome. I love Isabella Allende. Hearing and learning about her feminism was fasinating. Everytime a read one of allendes books i find out so much about the world
Wonderful blending of history and human suffering, beware as it might repeat.
Bill Mooney
Loved it and recommend it to all.
This book was amazing but at the same time very, very sad some of the stories Isabel narrated in this book are terrible, what I mean by terrible is they are so sad and very hurtful.
this is a book that talks about how hard is to be a woman in a world that constantly puts us down and makes us feel like we’re the worst that had happened to this world…
I really can’t understand why they do this to us Women, why do we keep fighting and fighting for a place without even having any place? what do we have that men feel so intimidated to the point they feel entitled to treat us like we don’t have any value at all??
We’re the ones who create life in this world (you know what I mean by “creating”) and we’re treated like a potato bag.. and the worst part of this is that no matter if we’re in 2021 it always feels for us like we are in 1800. our stories during WW2 were hidden from the world, many of the women who fought so bravely during those times don’t exist in the book, and if you’re someone looking for a high profile position be ready to fight for your life like if you were in a real war.
as Isabel said such is the case of Hilary Clinton (it doesn’t matter what political party you support or if you like her or not) the truth was and is they don’t want a woman in charge or in power no matter what stories or excuses they keep saying .. The truth is They DON’T want a woman in charge never ever.
Each story in this book is even harder to digest, the Manitoba case in Bolivia was unbelievable, the Myanmar situation that’s still happening as I type this, they even banned internet access one or two months ago so as you can see there still so much to learn especially the people in power or better say the man in power.
**SPOILER ALERT**
There was a story that really broke me terribly, about a young girl, named Shamila from Pakistan. I kept thinking about her over and over again while reading the book and still I can feel her story to the core. Isabel was just a young girl and she was living in Lebanon at the time, Shamila was studying at Isabel British school, her father sent her there as he feared she would be “Ruined” but the worst part was when she left for her country to Pakistan and later returned to school to pick up her diploma, you can imagine what had happened to Shamila when she was at Pakistan??? she was beaten and locked up for two months thank her idiotic father who wants her to marry a man 30 years her senior.
so the stories go on and on and still, we are not even on the verge to see any possibility for us because no matter how much we protest and raise our voices men will always put us down and make the impossible to see us as a second class citizens of this world.
This opens my eyes even wider than before, it was painful and sad but I’m so glad I’m reading all these books to learn the evilness and ignorance of humans who always feel entitled to destroy lives even if you’re just a small girl dreaming big.