Name: Isabel Allende Llona
Age: 63
Occupation: Writer
Place of Residence: San Rafael, California
Bio: From Wikipedia : “Allende was born in Lima to diplomat Tomás Allende who was a Chilean ambassador there. She is the niece of Salvador Allende, the President of Chile from 1970 to 73. In 1945, her parents separated, and her mother relocated with their three children to Chile, where they lived until 1953. The family later moved to Bolivia and then to Lebanon. She returned to Chile in 1958 to complete her secondary education, and there she met her first husband, Miguel Frías, whom she married in 1962. On September 11, 1973 , her uncle, Salvador Allende, was overthrown in the wake of a violent coup and during the capture of La Moneda (the seat of the presidency of Chile). In 1975, Isabel Allende went into exile in Venezuela. In 1981, Allende learned that her grandfather, age 99, was on his deathbed. She started writing him a letter that later evolved into a book manuscript, The House of Spirits (1982). The book was a great success and was later made into a film (The House of the Spirits, 1993) by Danish director Bille August. The movie starred Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Winona Ryder, Glenn Close and Antonio Banderas. During a visit to California in 1988, Allende met her current husband, Willie Gordon, a lawyer, and has lived in San Rafael since then. In 2003 she obtained U.S. citizenship.”

Why she’s loved: She’s considered one of the top novelists worldwide. Her stories are political without being preachy and really give a sense of Chile at various times in its history. Her stories are emotional and dramatic and contain multifaceted female characters.

Why she’s hated: Her writing might be considered sappy by some.
Why she’s influential: She has sold over 35 million copies and her work has been translated in 27 different languages. She’s a popular and critical success.

VOTE for Isabel Allende as VL’s Most Influential Latino 2006

Image Via / UVA