Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

This has to be my favourite Isabel Allende book. It is a fascinating and heart-rending story from an astonishingly talented author who writes with vibrancy and beauty. This is a masterpiece.

Isabel Allende is the godmother of feminist fiction, so it comes as no surprise that her latest book, The Soul of a Woman, is a genre defying feminist manifesto. Part-memoir and reflection on her life, and part-feminist treatise and call to arms to younger generations, this book will truly surprise you. Whether you've read any of Allende's wide back-catalogue or not The Soul of A Woman is funny, engaging and a great way to understand more of this phenomenal writer. If you've not read any of her work though do be warned - she does make the occasional reference that could be a spoiler!

This book does exactly what it purports to - it's not an autobiography, or complex exploration of feminist theory. It's a meditation, on Allende's own beliefs and what she has learned throughout her life and relationships. Allende has a wealth of experience and wisdom to call upon, as a young woman coming of age in the 1960s, pioneering feminist journalism, and fast becoming one of the most celebrated South American novelists of all time. She reflects on her life, her relationships and her work, and the political and historical changes that went alongside them to offer an insight into where we are now and the way forward for feminism. However, what is most inspiring, is how she speaks about learning from younger generations, and her hope for the future. Her observations on how society has and still is changing are astute and it is very refreshing to hear this commentary and analysis from such a different voice.

It's a short book but a joy to read. It's an incredibly poignant and accessible way to explore feminism, for newcomers to Allende and seasoned fans alike. Every young woman should read this as there is so much to learn from the soul of this incredible woman.

I devoured this short work of Allende's take on womanhood! I've never read any of Allende's work before (I've been meaning to for years), but thought that it would be interesting to get an insight into the woman behind so many great books, and it's only made me want to read them more. This mini-memoir shows just how full of a life Allende has led, and it was really insightful to read her opinions on feminism and womanhood. They are definitely more akin to second-wave feminist ideas, and she references Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan at points, but I still found them to be incredibly relevant to today. This isn't a reflection on the book itself, but the proof copy I received was so poorly formatted that I actually found it quite hard to read at times, with letters from words and full words themselves missing from the text, which did ruin the flow of the book for me to some extent.

This was (somehow!) my first Isabel Allende book and I absolutely loved it. What a joy to read such stunning prose.

This warm-hearted book is part memoir, part polemic about the importance of feminism and proto-feminism to women, wherever they live and whatever their circumstances. Allende writes about her family experience of female empowerment, from her mother's struggle to support her children when their father abandoned them, to Allende's own experience of feminism as she grew up and married (three times). This is Allende's chance to look back on 80 years of a life well and fully lived. At times it is uneven, but the sense of her vibrancy and warmth comes through this book. I recommend it.

Note: I loved this and it would be 5* if not for the proof missing large portions and being quite tricky to read!

This is a fantastically wise memoir on feminism, love, and womanhood.⁣ It was inspiring and eclectic, and I felt so fortunate to have imbibed some of the wisdom Allende has gathered over her 70 odd years of living furiously.
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- ‘Feminism is not about replicating the disaster. It’s about mending it.’⁣
- ‘My mother used to say that the only regrets in our old age are the sins we didn’t commit and the things we didn’t buy.’⁣
- ‘With age, defects and virtues are exacerbated; we become more of what we always were.’ ⁣
- ‘Docility, praised as a feminine virtue, is our worst enemy; it has never served us well, it is only convenient for men.’ ⁣
- ‘In the twenty-first century women will change the nature of power instead of power changing the nature of women.’ ⁣
- ‘Life is a mapless road and we can’t go back. I had no control over the important events that determined my destiny or my personality.’ ⁣
- ‘I am letting go…letting go. I should have started earlier.’ ⁣
⁣
#IsabelAllende #TheSoulofaWoman

An interesting read which gives an insight into who Isabelle Allende is and what she cares most deeply about. Like some other readers, I found this early draft slightly tricky to read as sections were missing, so I did at times feel I was missing out and that the flow of the book was slightly lost.

“When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating.” - Isabel Allende.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Soul of a Woman’ by Isabel Allende in exchange for an honest review.

Subtitled ‘Rebel Girls, Impatient Love and Long Life’, this short memoir is a powerful “meditation on feminism, power and what it means to be a woman.”

In ‘The Soul of a Woman’ rather than an in-depth autobiography, Isabel Allende touches upon the various stages of her life against the backdrop of feminism and a number of campaigns that have sought to highlight issues such as the #MeToo movement and those seeking to protect exploited women and girls throughout the world. As such, some sections were upsetting to read given their graphic nature but still very important to be aware of.

I was especially interested in her reflections upon ageing being in that category myself. She also writes about aspects of her writing that provided insight into her creative process.

Over the years I have enjoyed a number of Isabel Allende’s novels though realised that I knew very little about her life. So I was glad to have the opportunity to change that.

Overall, this proved an inspiring memoir written with warmth and passion.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I’ve read and enjoyed some of Isabel Allende’s fictional works and hadn’t realised this was non-fiction. Interesting but not really my style sorry!

I love Isabel Allende's fiction which I find masterful, passionate and gripping. So I was looking forward to this non-fiction account about women, power and feminism.

However, I did find it too rambling and conversational for my liking - it never really seemed to go anywhere and I found myself skipping bits as they were just dull. I'll go back to the fiction!

Sadly I was unable to read this ecopy ads there were to many misiing sections and errors in the text. Such a shame as I am huge IA fan, nbut there are too many books to read to struggle on. Will wait to purchase a hard copy.

The Soul of a Woman is biographical and ponders power, feminism and what it means to a woman. Isabel Allende is one of my favourite authors and this sweep gives excellent insight into the narrative behind her fiction.

In The Soul of a Woman, Allende reminisces on her life as a woman, in terms of her upbringing, her education, her career, her ageing and her role as a mother. Succinctly written in captivating prose, Allende captures what feminism means to her and how both the men and women in her lives have shaped her understanding of her 'place' in the world. Filled with personal anecdotes, the book allows you to follow one (fairly remarkable) woman's discovery of place and purpose that will resonate with many readers. A joy to read, with Allende's delicate touch as she examines the nature of male/female relationships in all their forms, perhaps most poignantly in her affection towards her father.

A non fiction book from Isabel Allende, but still with the appealing warmth, intelligence and style of her other writing, of which this reviewer has long been a fan. This is a meditation on Allende’s long life, and in particular her experiences of feminism and the place of women in the world. Don’t let that put you off, as this is a book we should all read, men and women, as her view of the world and its future, although occasionally bleak, is always approachable and clearly justified. I loved the writing about her own experiences and those of her grandmother, mother and daughter and how they have influenced her own life. This is a short and undemanding read in style, and will give us all food for thought on the future of our planet and the place of women in making that future more positive.

A little bit hard to read this as it seemed to be an early draft. However I am enamoured with Isabelle she is one of my most favourite authors an amazing inspiring lady. Her grand mother and her home and her life as well as the characters from her other hooks all seem to be living on the pages I loved it.. thank you

This is the book we all need to read, this is a book we all need to pass to our brothers, husbands and fathers, they need to read this as much as our daughters and sisters nieces and mothers.

In The Soul of a Woman, the almost 80-year-old Chilean-American author invites us to accompany her on this personal and emotional journey where she reviews her connection with feminism from childhood until today. In this part memoir, part polemic, she remembers some of the essential women in her life, her mother Panchita—who she saw become dependent on men after she was abandoned by Isabel’s father with three small children when Isabel was only in kindergarten and was forced to move back in with her parents’ in Santiago, Paula—her daughter who sadly died at 29-years-old and whom she beautifully memorialises in rich prose, and the literary agent Carmen Balcells—a legend in publishing circles who helped guide Allende through the male-dominated landscape of Latin American literature and supported the release of her first published book; relevant writers such as Virginia Woolf or Margaret Atwood; to young artists who agglutinate the rebellion of their generation or, among many others, to those anonymous women who have suffered violence and who, full of dignity and courage, stand up, advance and thrive. They are the ones who inspire Isabel immensely and have accompanied her throughout her life: her women of the soul.

Finally, she also reflects on the #MeToo movement —which she supports and celebrates—, on the recent social unrest in her country of origin and, of course, on the new situation that we are experiencing globally with the pandemic. All this without losing that unmistakable passion for life and insisting that, regardless of age, there is always time for love. Isabel Allende delves into her memory and offers us an exciting book about her relationship with feminism and the true beauty of being a woman, while she claims that adult life must be lived, felt and enjoyed with full intensity. It's captivating, insightful and with a singular charm it engages through its abundance of wisdom and warmth. The memoir of a self-proclaimed romantic feminist couldn't have arrived at a more timely juncture and provides a rich and deeply personal account of the lifelong passion she has dedicated to progressing the feminist cause, including co-founding the feminist magazine Paula in 1967 and her fight for equality in sport. Allende is an inspiration who is, and always has been, a vocal opposer of patriarchal society and her many fights for the imposition of egalitarian ideals are detailed throughout the book enticingly interwoven with her history. Highly recommended.

This is a lovely warm book that reads like a stream of consciousness chat it would be amazing to have with Isabel Allende in person. She reveals some of her life and how she feels her feminist beliefs developed and she talks about the dangers and issues facing women today. As her fiction has developed I've particularly enjoyed the way she writes about getting old from the vantage point of having done it, and I hope she continues to write fiction and non-fiction for many years to come, bringing her insights and experience to us all.

The Soul of a Woman

"We have to love ourselves a lot and love others without calculating how much we are loved in return. This is the stage of kindness."

The Soul of a Woman is part memoir, part discussion of feminism where Allende talks about love, loss, passion and sense of self.

I thought some of the most interesting aspects were when Allende spoke about her age and the way older women are viewed and behaved. She spoke about how she lacks the same concerns she did when she was younger about competing, people pleasing, looking good. How she is less afraid. How we have a generation of older women raised in an era of emerging feminism and women's rights who are passing on this legacy to their children and grandchildren.

Allende is incredibly self-assured and it gave me great comfort to see a woman so comfortable in her older age. Comfortable in her sense of self and awareness. Allende talks about how she is still learning; how her grandchildren have made her think about personal pronouns, how she has witnessed great changes in her time.

I feel like the voices of older women are so often silenced and so this was great to read in that sense.

"Age should not limit our energy or creativity or our willingness to participate in the world."

My problem with the book lay in some of Allende's comments on feminism which felt a little generic and off-hand at times particularly on the subject of the burka and how women wear it purely out of fear of men. This seemed to contrast with her more careful attitudes towards sexuality and gender pronouns and was disappointing to see. And whilst this is part memoir examing Allende's relationship with feminism. I found some of this generalisations did not hit the mark right and some of them were problematic when she spoke about wider feminism. The book as a whole also felt a little disjointed and unplanned which could be because I read an uncorrected proof.

Overall I was little disappointed with this one and whilst I loved Allende's fire and her writing style so will definitely be picking up her novels. I couldn't appreciate all she said.

Thanks to netgalley and Bloomsbury for the uncorrected proof.