Mi país inventado

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Although she claims to have been an outsider in her native land -- "I never fit in anywhere, not into my family, my social class, or the religion fate bestowed on me" -- Isabel Allende carries with her even today the mark of the politics, myth, and magic of her homeland, Chile. In <i>My Invented Country</i> she explores the role of memory and nostalgia in shaping her life, her books, and that most intimate connection to her place of origin.<p>The military coup and violent death of her uncle, Salvador Allende Gossens, on September 11, 1973, sent her into exile and transformed her into a writer. The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 on her newly adopted homeland, the U.S., brought fourth from Allende an overdue acknowledgment that she had indeed left home. <i>My Invented Country</i> speaks compellingly to all of us who try to retain a coherent inner life and a sense of humor in a world full of contradictions.</p>