InŽs of My Soul

London: Fourth Estate, 2006. 1st UK. hardback. Fine, 1st UK edition, unclipped d/j (v.g., some price label residue); black boards clean, gilt spine titling bright; text block firm, pages unmarked and crisp.. 8vo (230 x 150 / 9"" x 6""). A real historical figure, InŽs Suarez came to Chile with the Conquistadors in 1540, helping to claim the territory for Spain and to found the first Spanish settlement in Santiago. In this remarkable novel, Isabel Allende Ð one of the world's most spellbinding storytellers Ð re-imagines InŽs's life and that of the two men who become her lover and husband respectively.Based on actual historical events, ÔInŽs of My SoulÕ evokes the conflict and drama of the Conquistadors' arrival in Chile, as well as helping restore the reputation of Ines, a powerful woman long neglected by history and a patriarchal society. It also finds Allende returning to territory beloved of her and her readers Ð imaginative historical fiction, evocatively told Ð and to the familiar landscape of her native country.The novel gives Ines the recognition and glory that are rightfully hers; but more than that it is an epic tale of love and conquest, lyrically written and enchantingly told by a writer at the peak of her powers.