My Invented Country – Isabel Allende

I’ve always had a bit of an interest in South America. Maybe it’s the passions, maybe it’s the colour, maybe it’s the fact that they’re the complete opposite of the English and are at the other end of the Earth, but I’ve read piles and piles of books documenting journeys through South American countries and fiction and poetry… I’m just infatuated.
Lately I came upon a mention of this book, My Invented Country, on Bookcrossing.com and was immediately intrigued. Basically put: Isabel Allende discusses her relationship with Chile, the country of her birth. She crafts a wandering, wondering work of mystical proportions; discussing the influence of her colourful family (in particular, her grandfather) and the times in which she lived as a child. There is no narrative imperative in this work, but all the same, I was enthralled as I learnt about the spirit of the Chilean people and how they’ve come through a veritable patchwork of governments in the last few centuries. And what falls into place as you read, is a rich and vibrant land which the author admits may never have even existed and may simply exist in her mind, due to her lengthy exile from Chile during the Pinochet years. But in bringing her vision of Chile to the reader, she also brings something of herself. Her writing, her imagination, her influences, her spirit and in turn, she makes me want to read more of her works. Undoubtedly an intriguing woman and an intriguing land. Read it today.