Between the Pages III-- Of Love and Shadows by Isabel Allende

“All you will have is the present. Waste no energy crying over yesterday or dreaming of tomorrow. Nostalgia is fatiguing and destructive, it is the vice of the expatriate. You must put down roots as if they were forever, you must have a sense of permanence” (278).

Chilean author and Los Angeles resident Allende tells a tale of romance, political upheaval, and desaparecidos. Allende's command of language is mesmerizing. A quick read that pulls you into a land of passion and pain. Just as enjoyable as her compilation Stories of Eva Luna, Allende's House of Spirits is now on my reading list.

“The fragrance of the fresh herbs and spices she used for seasoning stews and fried potato cakes always lingered on the air, the mouth-watering harmony of sprigs of rosemary, bay leaves, garlic cloves, and onions melding with the more subtle fragrance of cinnamon, clove, vanilla, anise, and chocolate used in baking breads and cakes.” (211).

“Supported by the rough trunk, they sat in silence, without touching, but so united in their feelings they might have been cradled in a single womb.” (120)

“Through sleepless nights they told each other the stories of their lives. There was no memory from the past, no dream of the present, no plan for the future that they did not share. They surrendered all their secrets; going beyond the physical, they abandoned their souls to one another.” (257).

“Finally dawn came. Light spread like a flower of fire and slowly the darkness receded. The sky cleared and the blinding beauty of the landscape materialized before their eyes like the birth of a new world. They roused themselves, shook the frost from their blankets, stretched their stiff arms and legs, and drank the remaining liquor to restore their circulation.” (289).

Click here to hear Allende's talk on TED Ideas Worth Spreading: "Isabel Allende tells Tales of Passion"