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    Ines of My Soul: A Novel
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    Ines of My Soul: A Novel
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    Ines of My Soul: A Novel
    Ebook428 pages9 hours

    Ines of My Soul: A Novel

    By Isabel Allende

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    A passionate tale of love, freedom, and conquest from the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits, Isabelle Allende.

    Born into a poor family in Spain, Inés Suárez, finds herself condemned to a life of poverty without opportunity as a lowly seamstress. But it's the sixteenth century, the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas. Struck by the same restless hope and opportunism, Inés uses her shiftless husband's disappearance to Peru as an excuse to embark on her own adventure. After learning of her husband's death in battle, she meets the fiery war hero, Pedro de Valdivia and begins a love that not only changes her life but the course of history.

    Based on the real historical events that founded Chile, Allende takes us on a whirlwind adventure of love and loss seen through the eyes of a daring, complicated woman who fought for freedom.  

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateApr 1, 2014
    ISBN9780062254450
    Author

    Isabel Allende

    Isabel Allende is the author of twelve works of fiction, including the New York Times bestsellers Maya’s Notebook, Island Beneath the Sea, Inés of My Soul, Daughter of Fortune, and a novel that has become a world-renowned classic, The House of the Spirits. Born in Peru and raised in Chile, she lives in California.

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    Reviews for Ines of My Soul

    3.5/5

    548 ratings39 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Okay, I'm gonna confess that I didn't finish this. Maybe it just wasn't the right book for me right now. First, I was listening to the audio and I found the narrator's not very convincing accent kind of annoying, so that didn't help. More importantly, though, it seemed to drag. I was interested in the historical part and the romance just seemed too contrived, too syrupy, "Ines of my soul" oh, please. But for some readers, the romance might be the best part. So I think my review is even more subjective than usual. I wanted to learn about the history, but I wasn't interested in Ines' supposedly deep but actually very banal "philosophical" observations along the lines of "I tried to stop them from beating the slaves so much. Some of my best friends were Indians. And, it's such a pain being a woman, all the guys want you." Sorry to people who loved the book. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
    • 4/5
      Very interesting!
    • 4/5
      This is the life story of Ines Suarez, a Spanish woman from a poor background, who became the gobernadora (the female governor) of Chile. She left Spain to find her husband in the New World although she had no love for him. Eventually she discovered that he had died in battle and she was a widow. By this time she was in Cuzco Peru and she encountered Pedro de Valdivia and the two of them fell passionately in love. Valdivia was a trusted military advisor to Franciso Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador who toppled the Incan empire. As a result of his service to Pizarro, Valdivia was a wealthy man but he dreamed of going to Chile and settling that land. Ines and Valdivia convinced Pizarro to let them make the attempt. They were accompanied by some Spanish soldiers, a priest, the pregnant Incan wife of one of the soldiers and many Yanacona Indians. This troupe crossed a barren desert and reached the site of Santiago but the Chilean Indians, the Mapuche, were not about to accept these intruders in their land. Ines was a valuable participant in the travels because of her knowledge of medicine and also her ability to dowse for water. Many years of hardship and fighting followed the settlement of Santiago. Ines and Valdivia were together for 10 years but never married since Valdivia had a wife back in Spain. After Valdivia made a trip to Peru he abandoned Ines who promptly married one of his lieutenants, Rodrigo de Quiroga, with whom she lived happily for 30 years. That's the bare bones of the story but the details make a fascinating read. Allende had to imagine many of the details because, although Ines Suarez was a real person and did shape the history of Chile, not much is known about her. Perhaps because Allende is Chilean herself, these details ring true. Allende doesn't gloss over the grisly details of the battles with the Mapuche and some may find that off-putting. It was certainly a bloody period of history. As well as an historical story, this is also a love story. Ines was a woman who loved passionately and was loved passionately. She was also spiritual and mystical. Once you read this book I don't think you will ever forget Ines Suarez. I know I won't.
    • 3/5
      Very interesting history, if a little dense at time. Ridiculously abrupt ending.
    • 5/5
      Love Allende and her portrayal of strong, fierce women.
    • 4/5
      Allende is a wonderful writer and the first half of this novel is gripping. But by the last 80 pages she seems to be trying to wrap it up, and it loses momentum. I'd have read 600 pages if they were like the first 200.
    • 3/5
      interesting historical fiction based on the Spanish founding of Santiago & Chile but, unexpectedly, very ordinary story telling.Read May 2007
    • 4/5
      Vivid telling of the conquest and founding of Chile, from the viewpoint of Ines Suarez, a historical figure, dictating her memoirs to her stepdaughter, Isabel. From life as a seamstress in Spain, Ines follows her feckless husband, who has gone there attracted by the siren call of gold: El Dorado. Once there in Peru, she becomes the mistress of the governor, finds out the her husband has died, then later she becomes the wife of another of the conquistadors. The novel is chock-full of battles with the indigenous Indians, culminating in the battle with the Mapuche, who are trying to hold on to their land in the South. Ines is a foundress of the city of Santiago. There are gorgeous descriptions of the landscapes, but too many gruesome battles for my taste. This was an era I know nothing about and was glad to learn something about it. Recommended.
    • 3/5
      I was kind of disappointed by this book. I have really liked all of Allende's fiction a lot, and was exicted to read this one. This book is told from the perspective of Dona Ines Suarez, who is a foundress of Chile. At first I was really interested in the conquistador time period, because I've never read historical fiction set in that time. However, I very quickly lost interest. There were too many descriptions of battles between the Spanish and the Incas and the Mapuches, and it just became really tedious to read about them again and again. I really just didn't care. And I didn't like Ines all that much... I didn't dislike her, I just didn't like her as much as I have liked many of Allende's other characters. Maybe because she is an acutal historical figure, Allende couldn't take as many liberties in character development, I dont' know...

      the book was still fairly good, and i enjoyed most of it, but i think if i was more interested in the historical time period, i would have liked this book a lot more.
    • 5/5
      Historical fiction is one of my passions, and Isabel Allende is a favorite author. She does not disappoint with this novel based on Dona Ines Suarez and the early years of Chilean history.

    • 3/5
      Not sure if this book was really interesting or not. The narrator did not capture my attention too much while listening. I find most historical fiction very interesting. It could be that this particular history was not of interest to me.Ines of My Soul is a work of fiction on Ines Suarez. I found some of the story interesting and that I did chuckle at some things. I am not familiar with Ines Suarez which is why the story didn't capture my attention.
    • 3/5
      good historical fiction about the conquest of chile; there's no doubt that allende writes with a lot of skill and i give this 2 1/2 stars primarily because it's not my thing and because i started to find the battles redundant.
    • 4/5
      it tells the story of Inés de Suárez a Spanish conquistadora and mistress to Pedro de Valdivia who participated in the Conquest of Chile ,a historical fiction novel....
    • 4/5
      I found this book a great inspiration because of the female lead in the book. Once again she does a great job trying to piece together a story from what little historical fact there could be found about Ines. The book is also a bit on the "heavy" side. At certain points, I had to put the book down to recoup, it really bummed me out a bit. But it is based of of history and history isn't all that pretty.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic but heavy book.If you want to read about again a strong independent female you are at the right address with this book by Isabel Allende. She can give you the spirit you need in your own life.
    • 5/5
      WonderfulAllende never fails to entertain
    • 5/5
      In this book Isabel Allende sets upon the difficult task of creating a narrative that strings together the pieces of history and distant records from the 1530’s conquest of Chile. The book is written in first person giving a voice to Inés de Suárez, a genuine female ‘conquistador’. Allende brings to us fleshed out characters who, through Inés de Suárez, are introduced to us as if we were part of an intimate conversation—Inés is in this way trusting her story to us. This book presents a superb insight on those gruesome and treacherous wars of conquest.In her narration of the events, Allende has meticulously played with that fine line that separates her voice as the author and the voice of Inés de Suárez. That is not an easy task, particularly because Inés de Suárez, as a conquistador is herself part and occasionally the perpetrator of violent acts to save her life and the lives of those living in the recently established settlement, later known as “Santiago de la Nueva Extremadura”, or today, simply Santiago, the capital of Chile. Allende places herself in Inés’ shoes with an extraordinary ability that allows to suspend judgment (although sporadically we hear the author through Inés regrets) in order to be respectful of Inés de Suárez version of history—Inés’ own voice.Independently of our contemporary view of the history of the conquest, Inés de Suárez—as a woman of her time caught in an unusual situation—is not repentant, on the contrary, she is proud of her achievements and although somehow repulsed by violence, she is not completely condemning of it, nor of the atrocious behaviour of men towards women in general and indigenous women in particular. Inés’ story adds an important dimension to our knowledge of the events—a Spaniard female version of history. While history has passed little and relatively unsavoury facts of the life of Inés de Suárez, history on the other hand, has been benevolent enough and much less judgmental of the character of Diego de Almagro, Francisco de Aguirre and Pedro de Valdivia among many others. This I believe is the important story within the story of this book.The book manages to depict with meticulous detail a new world of the ‘promised land’ as seen by the colonisers. The descriptions of the geography, the pristine mountains, air and rivers, the settlement and birth of a new city, together with the early poverty of the colonisers, their abuses of the indigenous people and intrigue among the colonisers themselves, are conveyed with captivating realism. Because of my general knowledge of Chilean history, I know that at least ninety percent of the names cited in this book are of real people who played their part in the history of Chile. For instance, among the indigenous people, Michimalonko, Lautaro (Felipe), Vitacura (one of Santiago’s municipalities is named after him), the Spanish officers and soldiers and many if not most of the women mentioned. However, for a non Chilean reader this important aspect of the novel and which adds to its value cannot be appreciated. For this reason, I would have liked to see footnotes to assist the reader to discern historical facts. Having read many of Allende’s books and having grown a little tired of her use of ‘magic realism’, this book was like a breathe of fresh air. This is to me one of Allende’s best, if not her best book and I value the fact that she undertook much historical research in order to bring us a reliable narrative of the life of Inés de Suárez.
    • 5/5
      This is a first-person fictionalized account of the life of little-known Ines de Suarez, c. 1507-1580, conquistadora and gobernadora of Chile along with her lover, Pedro de Valdivia (originally field marshal to Perus' conquistador Francisco Pizarro), and later with her husband, Rodrigo de Quiroga.Isabel Allende, born in Peru but raised in Chile, writes as though she is Ines telling the story of her life, at age 70 and shortly before her death, to her adopted daughter Isabel. Allende brings to life Ines' adventurous voyage to the New World, the harrowing trip from Peru to what will become Chile, and her part in its settlement and the battles with the natives. At times the descriptions of the latter scenes become tedious, but it's offset by the detailed research into the life of the heroine and the narrative style that makes her real.Veteran New York actress Blair Brown does an excellent job reading the book, with a perfect Spanish accent and pronunciations. Spanish guitar interludes at the beginning and end of each disc add to the atmosphere. Highly recommended.
    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book - particularly the historical perspective although not nearly as much as some of her other books
    • 2/5
      The story is about a young Spanish woman who follows her husband when he goes off to the New World to make his fortune. The book seemed pretty interesting but there was one thing that turned me off and it happened so much that I just couldn't listen anymore. It's told from the point of view of a much older Ines telling about her younger self, which is fine. I've read lots of books that start in the future and then go back. However, she continually makes allusions to things that will happen later in the most annoying ways. "As you will see later," "As will be explained later," "Which would never come to pass," "If I had only known how it would turn out." These phrases are fairly irritating when used more than once. Yes, I believe you should only use this once in a book no matter how long that book is. It can make a certain impact when used correctly. If used too many times, it simply becomes irritating. If the book is 985 pages long, it should still only be used once. I listened to the audio book for an hour and she said it 10 times. I'm not sure how many chapters or pages that was but it wasn't very long of a time to have it said that many times! Just tell me the story as it happens. Quit telling me that something is going to happen or that I will see different results later. Just tell it and let it unfold naturally. So I wish I could tell you more about the book but I just got irritated and stopped listening. The book is already on it's way to it's new owner, care of Paperback Swap. I hope that person enjoys it more than me
    • 5/5
      Ines is so alluring, provocative, powerful, masterful and wise, yet fortune fated her to never have children. If Senora Suarez could found Chile with such grace, just imagine what women of her bloodline could accomplish in the modern age. She loves passionately yet wisely, and though she carried no bitterness toward de Valdivia towards the end, his fall was inevitable and justified. I wish I could have learned more of the sensible love between her and Rodrigo, after the fevered love of her younger days. Definitely a book for history-lovers and -haters alike!
    • 4/5
      This is a nice piece of historical fiction about a woman who moves to the new world following love. With her courage and love for a married man Ines helps found Chile and and create a strong country that stands many wars to name a few assaults. This is a wonderful account of the importance of women in history, their often unsung bravery and importance.
    • 4/5
      It's an excellent story with the bonus that the narrator, Inés Suárez, lived the events depicted.
    • 2/5
      Unable to read this one, as I could not get into the book - it sounded like a great idea but just didn't work out for me.
    • 5/5
      This is an amazing story about a real, amazing woman of the 16th century. She was born poor in Spain, married the town gigilo who then abandoned her for the lure of El dorado in the newly discovered South America. She eventually follows him there and ends up helping found a city and possibly a country and has a relationship with two remarkable men.The book is written in first person with Ines telling her story which ends with the death of one of her two loves in South America, but not her last one. It is told as a story to her adopted daughter, Isabel.It was a wonderful slow read taking me to a place of intrigue, hardship and beauty.
    • 4/5
      Historical fiction of the life of Isabel Suarez, a daring Spanish conquiistadora who toiled to build the nation of Chile-and whose vital role has too often been forgotten by history.
    • 3/5
      An interesting read from an unreliable narrator giving an insight into the Spanish conquest of Peru and Chile. Awful slush seriously lets it down though.
    • 4/5
      Good fiction about the conquest of Chile, based on the events of a historical woman's life, Inés.
    • 3/5
      This work of historical fiction tells the story of the Spaniards' conquest of Chile in the mid-1500s. Allende attempts to bring a unique perspective to this time period by telling the story in a woman's voice. Ines Suarez left Spain for South America in search of her lover, and ended up the life partner of Pedro de Valdivia, a conquistador responsible for the "discovery" of Chile and suppression of the native people.I enjoyed Allende's previous novels, including House of the Spirits and Daughter of Fortune. Allende's writing can be positively magical. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to Allende's potential. I never fully identified -- or even liked -- the characters and couldn't get excited about the violence wrought against native people in the pursuit of gold and riches for the white man.
    • 4/5
      I don’t think I’ve had a book read to me since grammar school. I had resisted books on CD since I believed that I had an inadequate attention span, but a long commute and the expense of the Teaching Company classes made me reevaluate my stand. I decided to start with the “A”s, so picked up Ines of My Soul, written by Isabel Allende. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Ines Suarez is newly widowed and near death as she tells her story to her husband’s daughter. A young woman in the early 16th century Spain, she follows her wastrel husband to the New World to find that he had already died. She initially settles in Peru, where she becomes the lover of the married Pedro de Valdivia. Ines accompanies Valdivia to Chile, which Valdivia hopes to conquer for Spain. However, the trip is perilous and the natives unwilling to allow the Spaniards to settle in their territory. The conquest led to years of brutal warfare between the peoples. In Santiago, Ines becomes a leading citizen as an advisor, nurse, and cook. She also knows how to use a sword, using one to great effect during an early battle with the Indians. Ines of My Soul is historical fiction, based on the true story of the founding of Chile. The story was so engrossing that several times I found myself in the car, at home after a long day at work, unwilling to end the story. The characters were interesting and believable, such that I felt that I knew Ines and her family. Ines is more or less a true Spaniard, who believes that the Christianization of the Indians is essential, and she fails to see how the conquest of South America is disastrous to the native populations. That the natives are essentially enslaved to the Spaniards seems almost natural to her. That said, she is horrified by the treatment of the Indians by the conquistadors, who rape and murder Indians at will. Whether a reader should suspend moral judgment will, of course, be up to the reader. I found it hard at times to do so. It certainly inspired some contemplation about the conquest of the new world.The book was read by Blair Brown, who did an excellent job of developing Ines’ voice. I highly recommend the CD, and suspect that the book is also a great read.