Isabel Allende's Debut Novel

Isabel Allende and The House of the Spirits

• Isabel Allende's debut novel, The House of the Spirits, is a multi-generational epic that tells the story of the del Valle-Trueba family.
• The novel combines human drama with elements of Latin American magical realism.
• The story centers around Clara del Valle, her cruel husband Esteban Trueba, and their extended family.
• The novel is set in an unnamed South American country, but its historical and events closely mirror those of Chile in the 20th century.

About Isabel Allende

• Isabel Allende was born in 1942.
• She is one of Latin America's most renowned authors.
• Before becoming a fiction writer, Allende worked as a journalist in Chile.
• She has written over a dozen novels and has received numerous prestigious awards, including a National Book Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Teaching The House of the Spirits

• The novel explores important themes and messages that offer lessons for current and future generations.
• Students should think about what lessons the story of the Trueba family conveys and how the novel conveys those lessons.

Reading Guide Overview

• The reading guide is organized into sections that preview key vocabulary and include close-reading questions.
• Each section identifies a key passage to guide students through an exploration of the essential ideas, events, and developments in The House of the Spirits.
• The guide includes comparative texts, contextual notes, and ideas to link these comparative texts to The House of the Spirits.
• The key passage in each section serves as a springboard for students to engage in group discussions.