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My Invented Country
My Invented Country: A Memoir | Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende evokes the magnificent landscapes of her country; a charming, idiosyncratic Chilean people with a violent history and an indomitable spirit, and the politics, religion, myth, and magic of her homeland that she carries with her even today. The book circles around two life-changing moments. The assassination of her uncle Salvador Allende Gossens on September 11, 1973, sent her into exile and transformed her into a literary writer. And the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on her adopted homeland, the United States, brought forth an overdue acknowledgment that Allende had indeed left home. My Invented Country, mimicking the workings of memory itself, ranges back and forth across that distance between past and present lives. It speaks compellingly to immigrants and to all of us who try to retain a coherent inner life in a world full of contradictions.
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ImperfectCJ
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This is a quick, interesting read that I wish I had read back when it came out and we had a large number of Chilean friends among our associates. Allende's book sheds light on some cultural things that were always a little confusing to me and also makes me feel better about having trouble understanding the Chilean accent. It also puts into perspective some quirks on the Spanish side of my family and the current cultural situation in the US.

ImperfectCJ Photo: Thunderstorms east of us brought some dramatic clouds this afternoon and hopefully cooler temps tomorrow. 2y
50 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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"Defects that had lain there beneath the surface blossomed in all their glory and majesty during that period. It isn't possible that repression on such a grand scale could have been organized overnight unless a totalitarian tendency already existed in a sector of society; apparently we were not as democratic as we believed."

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ImperfectCJ
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“In contrast, those of us who have moved on many times develop tough skin out of necessity. Since we lack roots or corroboration of who we are, we must put our trust in memory to give continuity to our lives...but memory is always cloudy, we can't trust it...it's as if my life has been nothing but a series of illusions, of fleeting images, of events I don't understand, or only half understand. I have absolutely no sense of certainty.“

ImperfectCJ This is especially true for me since I moved back to San Diego, a place I hadn't lived since I was a child, and discovered that so many of my memories were built of miscommunications or misunderstandings by my childhood mind. It's led me to doubt so much that I thought I remembered or understood about my life. I think that doubt is honest, even potentially helpful, but it leaves me feeling unmoored. 2y
30 likes1 comment
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Eggs
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ChaoticMissAdventures Does she give statistics? This seems a wild thing to claim, and interesting that she has chosen to talk in entire contents. I travel a lot and every time my mother would get worried I would tell her stats, and usually I was comparing and entire country to one US major city. 3y
Suet624 @ChaoticMissAdventures I was thinking the same thing. 3y
44 likes4 comments
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Eggs
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#sorrynotsorry a little more Allende

39 likes1 comment
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Eggs
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Love this

TheAromaofBooks My husband likes to point out that even emperors in ancient times didn't have hot showers whenever they wanted! 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this ❤️ 3y
46 likes3 comments
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Eggs
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Pickpick

Great narrative both personal and historical of Allende‘s home country Chile. She gives, at times, both amusing and tongue-in-cheek reflection of politics, stoicism, and female repression of her homeland - many of which details appear in her other NF and HF writing. Well done ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#authoramonth2021 @Soubhiville
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

"Don't believe everything I say, I tend to exaggerate" is an endearingly honest way to conclude a memoir. This is a beautifully evocative love letter to the Chile that Isabel Allende grew up in, painting a vivid picture of the people, food, clothes, landscape and customs, but also being honest about some of the repressive social norms, and the coup and dictatorship that forced her to leave the country.

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Texreader
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Ebook on sale today. Perfect for December‘s #authoramonth. @Soubhiville

Nutmegnc Phenomenal storyteller! 3y
Soubhiville Thanks for sharing! 3y
See All 19 Comments
Amor4Libros Loved it!! 3y
Cinfhen I picked this up a few weeks ago on the same sale!!! Thanks for the reminder 😊😘 @Soubhiville (edited) 3y
julesG @Soubhiville Thanks for the tag. 3y
Andrew65 Thanks 😊 3y
Bklover Thank you!! 3y
71 likes1 stack add19 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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#ReadHarder challenge 16: a memoir by a Latinx author

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Pinta
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Pickpick

National identities & stereotypes make me nervous (Nigerians are loud jokesters, French are rude fashionistas, Chileans are… superstitious, serious bureaucrats?), but Allende‘s insights into her native country & people are drawn w/ care. Much like her novels, outrageous family stories & history & humor but w/ an analytical perspective, a 10,000 foot view. Love letter from the exile & immigrant to her native land, told w/ love & humor. Trans. 2003

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Deblovestoread
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#CuriousCovers Day 27 #Car

Saving this one for December #AuthorAMonth.

Eggs Beautiful 💗💙💗 3y
34 likes1 comment
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Texreader
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Ebook on sale today

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MallenNC
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Isabel Allende is best known as a novelist but I think this nonfiction work looks interesting. #AugustAuthors

OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 4y
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ChasingOm
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August is #WomenInTranslation Month, so we're doing something different!

The tagged book is my first by Isabel Allende but the first few chapters that I've read so far already have me putting her backlist into my Bookshop cart, hah. If you have a favorite Allende, will you tag it below as well as reposting the prompt with your favorite (or most anticipated) book translated from a non-English American language? 📚 📚

#IntegrateYourShelf

25 likes3 comments
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llwheeler
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What better to go with my Chilean wine than a memoir of Chile?

So grateful for the long weekend! And really enjoying this memoir so far, as I expected I would.

SandyW A book pairing! 📖🍷 6y
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llwheeler
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I've been trying to think up a good caption for this pic of Gus since I took it this afternoon. I give up - feel free to caption as you want. #catsoflitsy

@Emiller hope your hard day is a little bit easier.

Emiller I think you lost your reading spot 😂😂😂 😻😻😻 6y
AmyG Ha! What a funny guy. 6y
LauraBeth Awwwww 😻 6y
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MelissaSue81 Oh! I love him! 6y
llwheeler @Emiller Lol yep 😛 @AmyG he has a lot of personality, that's for sure 6y
readordierachel This picture speaks to my soul. So cute. 6y
KateFulfordAuthor “Spark out” as we might say here in the UK 6y
53 likes9 comments
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llwheeler
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Feeling restless despite (because of?) having several books on the go. So of course my solution is to start another!

Expecting to really like this, we shall see. Using it for the memoir by a person from another country category for #readingwomenchallenge

SandyW I have such a difficult time reading multiple books at a time. 😲 6y
llwheeler @SandyW i usually have at least 3 or 4 on the go, but usually all different types or formats (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, French, audiobook...) 6y
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angela_fi13
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angela_fi13
Mi pas inventado | Isabel Allende
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Andrea4
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1. The TGIF shows ?
2. Allende's My Invented Country - it reminds me so much of the struggles and experiences of my mother and her siblings.
3. Sushi
4. Being "into" my new job and #bookclub romance/love theme @llwheeler
5. Done!
#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

readsusieread TGIF was the best! 7y
28 likes1 comment
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PeruvianBookWorm
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#BookWorms are always naturally attracted to #bookstores when traveling!!

Right now I am in 🇨🇱 Chile only for the weekend for a friend‘s wedding!

Happy Sunday Littens!

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Sana_Vita
Mein erfundenes Land | Isabel Allende
Pickpick

Ein sehr interessantes Buch.

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heatherspoetlife
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I think a lot of us end up with this perspective. I couldn't possibly realize everything my mother had to deal with. Anybody else feel this way?

TrishB Yep. Thankfully I appreciated it at an age to make a diffference in my relationship with her. 7y
heatherspoetlife @TrishB I did get a chance to talk to my mother too and its been better since 7y
TrishB @StoredFeminism that's good to hear. 7y
18 likes3 comments
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mrp27
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#setinthesouthernhemisphere #junebookbugs

Another memoir by Allende set in her home country of Chile.

LeeRHarry I loved this! 7y
19 likes1 comment
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Maririendome

#Booktober hosted by @RealLifeReading Day 11: #memorablememoirs i can't find the ones i have read so My invented country by Isabel Allende is one im really interested in reading.

Dia 11 de #booktober #memorablememoirs No puedo encontrar ninguna de las memorias que ya leí entonces pongo una que quiero leer Mi país inventado de Isabel Allende que la quiero leer desde el año pasado.

RealLifeReading Love Allende! 8y
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Katertot
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Starting a day late on #booktober to celebrate books set in South America. Here are the first few I could get my hands on; my love affair with South America runs deep. Several of my favorites didn't get to make the photo because they're at my work office, but these will definitely do. (And I'm feeling my Sunday productivity fade away into a re-reading future!)

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