Rikkie Degenaar Books

Narrated with warmth, humor, exceptional candor and wisdom, The Sum of Our Days is a portrait of a contemporary family, tied together by the love, strong will, and stubborn determination of a beloved matriarch, the indomitable New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits , Isabel Allende. "An inspiring and thought-provoking work." – Denver Post Isabel Allende reconstructs the painful reality of her own life in the wake of the tragic death of her daughter, Paula. Narrated with warmth, humor, exceptional candor, and wisdom, this remarkable memoir is as exuberant and as full of life as its creator. Allende bares her soul while sharing her thoughts on love, marriage, motherhood, spirituality and religion, infidelity, addiction, and memory—and recounts stories of the wildly eccentric, strong-minded, and eclectic tribe she gathers around her and lovingly embraces as a new kind of family.

The New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and A Long Petal of the Sea tells the story of one unforgettable woman—a slave and concubine determined to take control of her own destiny—in this sweeping historical novel that moves from the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the lavish parlors of New Orleans at the turn of the 19th century “Allende is a master storyteller at the peak of her powers.”— Los Angeles Times The daughter of an African mother she never knew and a white sailor, Zarité—known as Tété—was born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue. Growing up amid brutality and fear, Tété found solace in the traditional rhythms of African drums and the mysteries of voodoo. Her life changes when twenty-year-old Toulouse Valmorain arrives on the island in 1770 to run his father’s plantation, Saint Lazare. Overwhelmed by the challenges of his responsibilities and trapped in a painful marriage, Valmorain turns to his teenaged slave Tété, who becomes his most important confidant. The indelible bond they share will connect them across four tumultuous decades and ultimately define their lives.

Alexander Cold and his best friend, Nadia, the heroes of Allende's City Of the Beasts , are reunited in a new adventure. This time, Alexander's fearless grandmother and International Geographic are taking them to another remote niche of the world -- a forbidden kingdom tucked into the frosty peaks of the Himalayas. Their task: to locate its fabled Golden Dragon, a sacred statue and priceless oracle, before it is destroyed by the greed of an outsider. With the aid of a sage Buddhist monk, his young royal disciple, and a fierce tribe of Yeti warriors, and armed with the power of their totemic animal spirits, Alexander and Nadia fight to protect the holy rule of the Golden Dragon.

_______________THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING NOVEL FROM LITERARY LEGEND ISABEL ALLENDE_______________'Epic, beautifully crafted . . . Gripping from start to finish' DAILY TELEGRAPH'A moving exploration of both the pain and the freedom of being an outsider' NEW STATESMAN'A new novel by Isabel Allende is always a treat' DAILY MAIL_______________One extraordinary woman.One hundred years of history.One unforgettable story.Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first daughter in a family of five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events. The ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth. Told in the form of a letter to someone Violeta loves above all others, this is the story of a hundred-year life - of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Bearing witness to a century of history, it is a life shaped by the fight for women's rights, the rise and fall of tyrants and, ultimately, not one but two pandemics. Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination and sense of humour will carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional._______________

From one of the world's best loved storytellers, the trilogy that began with City of the Beasts comes to a thrilling climax. Alexander Cold knows all too well his grandmother Kate is never far from an adventure. When National Geographic commissions her to write an article about the first elephant-led safaris in Africa, they head - with Nadia Santos and the magazine's photography crew - to the blazing, red plains of Kenya. Days into the tour, a Catholic missionary approaches the camp in search of his companions who have mysteriously disappeared. Kate, Alexander, Nadia, and their team, agreeing to aid the rescue, enlists the help of a local pilot to lead them to the swampy forests of Ngoube. There they discover a clan of Pygmies who unveil a harsh and surprising world of corruption, slavery, and poaching. Alexander and Nadia, entrusting the magical strengths of Jaguar and Eagle, their totemic animal spirits, launch a spectacular and precarious struggle to restore freedom and return leadership to its rightful hands. The final instalment of Isabel Allende's celebrated trilogy soars with radiant settings, spirits, beings - and the transformation of an extraordinary friendship.

In the late 1930s, civil war gripped Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee in a treacherous journey over the mountains to the French border. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life irreversibly intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love. In order to survive, the two must unite in a marriage neither of them wants, and together are sponsored by poet Pablo Neruda to embark on the SS Winnipeg along with 2,200 other refugees in search of a new life. As unlikely partners, they embrace exile and emigrate to Chile as the rest of Europe erupts in World War. Starting over on a new continent, their trials are just beginning. Over the course of their lives, they will face test after test. But they will also find joy as they wait patiently for a day when they are exiles no more, and will find friends in the most unlikely of places. Through it all, it is that hope of being reunited with their home that keeps them going. And in the end, they will find that home might have been closer than they thought all along.

Internationally bestselling author of The Japanese Lover Isabel Allende returns with a beautifully crafted, multi-generational novel of struggle, endurance and friendship against the odds

Isabel Allende, the bestselling author of numerous acclaimed novels, showcases her literary versatility in this atmospheric, fast-paced mystery featuring a brilliant teenage sleuth unmasking a serial killer in San Francisco. The story centers on the Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, whose strong bond is challenged by their contrasting personalities. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer and free spirit, is hesitant to commit to either of her suitors—Alan, a wealthy elite, or Ryan, a scarred former Navy SEAL. In contrast, Amanda, an introverted high school senior bound for MIT, is captivated by the darker aspects of human nature, much like her father, the SFPD’s Deputy Chief of Homicide. A natural sleuth, she immerses herself in crime novels and the online mystery game Ripper, which she plays with her grandfather and friends. When a series of bizarre murders grips the city, Amanda embarks on her own investigation, uncovering connections before the police do. The case becomes personal when Indiana mysteriously disappears, leading Amanda to question if her mother’s fate is tied to the serial killer. With her mother’s life at stake, Amanda must solve the most intricate mystery she has ever faced before it’s too late.

Wachtend op haar wekelijkse zangles raakt Ana gefascineerd door een prachtige stem vanachter de gesloten deur van haar zanglerares. Helemaal in de war raakt ze, wanneer ze de nieuwe leerlinge bij wie deze stem hoort, Ursula leert kennen. Wanneer ze Ursula bij haar thuis ontvangt, blijkt ook haar man Federico zich aangetrokken te voelen tot deze vrouw, van wie een geheimzinnige verleiding uitgaat. Zonder dat ze het aanvankelijk van elkaar weten, krijgt zowel Ana als Federico een verhouding met Ursula. Daarmee wordt een ontwikkeling in gang gezet, die geen van drieën nog kan keren.

Als privé-detective Ricardo Cupido de opdracht krijgt om de moordenaar van de Madrileense schilderes Gloria te vinden, raakt hij volkomen in de ban van deze vrouw, die op iedereen een onuitwisbare indruk maakte. Het lijkt er aanvankelijk op dat de moordenaar een bekende moet zijn geweest, iemand die het niet kon verkroppen dat Gloria zo gesteld was op haar onafhankelijkheid. Maar deze veronderstelling vervalt als een tweede vrouw op precies dezelfde wijze wordt vermoord - in hetzelfde natuurgebied. Alles wijst er nu op dat een of andere gek aan het moorden is geslagen.