Isabel Allende takes traditional Latin-American magical realism and bends it to her own purposes to weave beguiling historic, political, and feminist narratives. Her first international bestseller was The House of the Spirits, which was adapted into the eponymous film starring Meryl Streep. She is the author of several other popular novels, including Daughter of Fortune (a 2000 Oprah Book Club selection), Zorro, and Portrait in Sepia. She has also written a collection of stories, three memoirs, and a trilogy of young adult novels. Her books have been translated into more than 27 languages and are bestsellers across four continents. Her new novel tells of Tété, a slave and concubine, and her struggle for independence.

Barbara Gohn Day Memorial Lecture