Ines of My Soul by Isabel Allende
Review by Kelly P. (KellyP)
Somehow my “world” history classes in high school never covered South America. I think in a geography class many years ago I learned the countries and their capitals, so I have a very basic idea of where the countries are. And, then there is Evita, and of course, coffee and llamas and alpacas.
That pretty much sums up what I know about South America.
So, to read about the Spanish colonization of Peru and Chile in the mid-1500’s via the skillful writing of Isabel Allende in her book Ines of My Soul was informative, very interesting and a true treat.
The book is carefully crafted historical fiction based on real people and actual events. Our main character – who tells her own story – is Ines Suarez, who as a young woman obtains permission and leaves her native Spain in search of her wayward husband who had gone to “the Americas” in search of the famed City of Gold.
I’m not giving anything away by telling that the wayward husband has been killed in battle. Ines becomes mistress to war hero and field marshal Pedro de Valdivia and accompanies him and 109 other Spanish conquistadors on the grueling trek across the Atacama Desert and into Chile. The mission is accomplished – even successful, depending on how one would define the word – and the city of Santiago is established. Ines is a water diviner, skilled in the healing arts, a cook, seamstress and natural leader. The “flesh” that Ms. Allende gives the bare bones facts of this woman gives us a character that is well-rounded, passionate, strong, loyal and intelligent with a wry sense of humor. She is a character worth knowing and worth knowing about.
I know a lot of people will turn away for the very simple reason that it’s written in first person; but, it really works for this book. Ines tells her story to her adopted daughter, Isabel, and intersperses the narrative with “current time” directives or information. In one place, she talks about the Spanish conquistadors’ lamentable lack of love-making skills and tells Isabel that if she needs any advice, she should ask now, because after Ines’ death, there won’t be anyone else to ask.
In an interview with the author, Ms. Allende said, “… the story could only be told in her voice. This story is so removed in time, and the place also so removed, that the readers would not feel close to the story if it was not told in first person narrative by Ines herself.” And, I certainly agree.
The first person narration brings a high degree of intimacy to the book and brings the reader into the story. And, this personal touch is also a good (and needed) counterpoint to the brutality and cruelty of the conflicts between the invaders (the Spanish) and the native Indian tribes who fought with all the strength and will they had to defend their way of life, their homeland, their culture.
This is the first book I’ve read by Isabelle Allende, and I could be quite wrong, but I feel that this is her story to tell. Ms. Allende is from Chile – this history is her history. She has known political upheaval and its accompanying fear and turmoil – she was forced to leave the country after the 1973 assassination of her uncle, President Salvador Allende and the resulting political coup. Lastly she has known tragedy and personal loss – her beloved daughter Paula died at the age of 28 after slipping into a coma after complications of the disease porphyria.
I really enjoyed this book; it was a worthy and worthwhile use of my time. While it wasn’t a book I couldn’t put down; it absolutely was a book I looked forward to getting back to. The book gets a solid five out of five stars.
