The House of the Spirits, the unforgettable first novel that established Isabel Allende as one of the world’s most gifted storytellers, brings to life the triumphs and tragedies of three generations of the Trueba family.

The House of the Spirits with its all-informing, generous, and humane sensibility, is a unique achievement, both personal witness and possible allegory of the past, present, and future of Latin America.” -The New York Times Book Review Allende has an affection for her characters quite beyond politics, and an estimable ability to bring them to life' Newsday'Intensely moving.“Spectacular.An absorbing and distinguished work. Sharply observant, witty and eloquent' New York Times'Allende is another remarkable storyteller from a continent blessed with many such enchanters. She has done so with enormous imagination, sensitivity, and compassion.” San Francisco Chronicle'Extraordinary. In The House of the Spirits Isabel Allende has indeed shown us the relationships between past and present, family and nation, city and country, spiritual and political values. A novel to be read for its brilliant craftsmanship and its narrative of inescapable power' El Pais, Madrid'Announcing a truly great read: a novel thick and thrilling, full of fantasy, terror and wit, elaborately crafted yet serious and accurate in its historical and social observations' Die Welt, Berlin“Nothing short of astonishing. A novel of force and charm' Washington Post'This is a novel like the novels no one seems to write anymore: thick with plot and bristling with characters who play out their lives over three generations of conflict and reconciliation. When she breaks her silence, it is to announce that she will be married soon to the stern and volatile landowner Esteban Trueba.Set in an unnamed Latin American country over three generations, The House Of The Spirits is a magnificent epic of a proud and passionate family, secret loves and violent revolution.'An exotic vision and a brilliant, impassioned epic' Vogue'Mesmerizing. Following the mysterious death of her sister, Rosa the Beautiful, Clara is mute for nine years.

As a girl, Clara del Valle can read fortunes, make objects move as if they had lives of their own, and predict the future.

The house of the spirits book