Ines of My Soul

by Isabel Allende | Literature & Fiction |
ISBN: 0061185450 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingbooklady331wing of Cape Coral, Florida USA on 4/15/2008
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
Amazon.com | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | Amazon DE | Amazon FR | Amazon IT | Bol.com
This book is in a Controlled Release! This book is in a Controlled Release!
5 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Unabridged 10 CDs; 12 1/2 hours Performed by Blair Brown

If you are new to BookCrossing and found this book and this site, Welcome!

You have in your hands a free gift. This book is yours to do with as you wish...read it, share it, keep it, pass it on!
I've registered this at BookCrossing.com so that I can keep up on where it goes, who reads it, and what they thought of it. If you like the BookCrossing concept, you might want to register yourself with a screen name, so that you can keep up on this book, and maybe release others also! It’s all confidential (you’re known only by your screen name and no one is ever given your e-mail address), fascinating, and fun!

Thank you for picking up this book. I'd love to see an entry letting me know it is safe with you. Do with it as you please... read it (or not!), give it to a friend, keep it, leave it in the wild - it's up to you! Enjoy! If you like you can mention me, booklady331, as the one who referred you.



Journal Entry 2 by wingbooklady331wing from Cape Coral, Florida USA on Monday, May 12, 2008
At first I wasn't sure if I would enjoy the book. Glad I finished the book. Now I want to pass it on to another BCer.

Reserved for carlissa's CD only bookbox

Journal Entry 3 by wingbooklady331wing at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases on Thursday, April 9, 2009

Released 14 yrs ago (4/9/2009 UTC) at Controlled Release, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Enjoy! Traveling for ROUND 3 in the CD only bookbox.

Journal Entry 4 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Monday, April 13, 2009
Took out of bookbox because I have an aunt named Inez and the name is very similar.

Journal Entry 5 by carlissa from Gainesville, Florida USA on Monday, May 24, 2010
Finally got around to listening to this audio! I liked the narrator, Blair Brown. The history of the founding of Santiago, Chile was interesting, but the military conquests were gruesome and somewhat boring.

Journal Entry 6 by carlissa at Miami, Florida USA on Friday, November 5, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (11/5/2010 UTC) at Miami, Florida USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

put in Indygo88's audio book box.

Journal Entry 7 by grubsneerg at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, December 27, 2010

Journal Entry 8 by grubsneerg at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA on Monday, July 4, 2011
Although I have heard of Isabel Allende and even have released a couple of her books before, this is the first I have actually read. Now I am wishing I had those books back, so I could enjoy them as much as I did this one. I like historical fiction, where real-life, often boring facts and figures are given life with three-dimensional characters, dialogue, and descriptive settings. The story of the founding of the nation of Chile is probably one I never would have sought out on my own, but Allende made it fascinating, and made me feel as if I were there among the conquistadors in the 16th century. Blair Brown did a wonderful job capturing Inés Suárez's voice as she tells her life story to her daughter, Isabel.

I'll most likely put this in the next audio bookbox that lands on my doorstep.

Journal Entry 9 by grubsneerg at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA on Sunday, September 4, 2011

Released 12 yrs ago (9/1/2011 UTC) at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Gave to Sister No. 6 to listen to while she does a little remodeling.

Journal Entry 10 by grubsneerg at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA on Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Back from Sister No. 6, who didn't listen because her mind wanders too much. *sigh*

Journal Entry 11 by grubsneerg at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA on Saturday, April 14, 2012

Released 11 yrs ago (4/16/2012 UTC) at Greensburg, Pennsylvania USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Added to BigJohnLefty's First CD-Only AudioBookBox.

Journal Entry 12 by keno-mom at Georgetown, Texas USA on Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I took from BigJohn's audio CD bookbox since I've never read Isabel Allende and I think I'll give it a try since I do like historical fiction. I'll return to BigJohn's bookbox after reading.

Journal Entry 13 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Wednesday, July 4, 2012
I'll be keeping this one to listen to :)

Journal Entry 14 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Started listening to this one a couple of days ago.

Journal Entry 15 by k00kaburra at San Jose, California USA on Sunday, March 3, 2013
Finished this morning.

At the end of her chaotic, adventurous life, Inés Suárez writes her memoirs for her adopted daughter, Isabel. There is much to tell. As a young girl in Spain, Inés falls for a handsome rake named Juan who soon leaves her to make his fortune in the New World. Not one to sit around pining for a man for the rest of her life, Inés follows him across the seas to Peru. When she arrives, she learns she is a widow; her husband was killed in battle. Inés quickly establishes herself as a seamstress and empanada-maker, and before long she has found a new love: Pedro de Valdivia, a well-respected soldier who wishes to leave his mark on history. Together, they embark on a great adventure: to conquer the lands south of Peru and found the kingdom of Chile.

Inés de Suárez was a real woman who lived a daring and fascinating life. (I wish there was an English biography of her available – but if there is one to be had for a reasonable sum, I’ve yet to find it.) Certainly, she was not afraid of defying convention. She came to the Americas to track down her missing husband, and stayed on after learning of his death. She lived openly as the mistress of Pedro de Valdivia, and – if stories are to be believed – during a battle in Santiago she decapitated seven caciques (Indian leaders) and threw their heads out into the Indian armies, scattering them and saving the Spanish settlement.

(One sentence review: I loved it, but I recognize the problems with the text and can understand why others might not care for this novel.)

Allende’s Inés is a woman of her time. Born in the sixteenth century, Inés believes in the superiority of Christianity and Spain. Although more open to the views of the indigenous people than many of her counterparts, she does think of them as savages in need of Christian taming. She fully supports the idea of colonization and the conquering of Chile, not just because it brings her wealth but because she sees it as right and proper. For these reasons, she might seem distasteful to a modern audience, which is more sympathetic to the indigenous perspective – but you can’t impose modern values on a character living hundreds of years ago. As it is, I think Allende did an admirable job of making Inés relatable and interesting to a twenty-first century audience without compromising the historic woman’s world view.

That said, some readers won’t be able to look past the romanticized conquistadors and the horrible, brutal tortures they inflict upon natives. This is a gruesome narrative full of bloodshed, revenge, and cruelty. It’s to be expected in a novel about the subjugation of the natives of the New World, but that doesn’t make it any easier to read.

But for those with strong stomachs and a taste for dramatic historical fiction, Inés of My Soul is a thrilling novel full of adventure, romance, betrayal and battle. It is truly an epic tale centering on a strong, passionate woman – definitely worth reading!


Journal Entry 16 by k00kaburra at -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA on Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Released 10 yrs ago (3/25/2014 UTC) at -- Mailed, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

sent to Clermont, FL to fulfill a request on Paperbackswap.com!

Are you sure you want to delete this item? It cannot be undone.