“So, what do woman want ? ……To be safe, to be valued, to live in peace, to have control of their bodies and lives, and, above all, to be loved. On all these fronts, there is much work to be done….”

This is the preface of ‘The Soul of a Woman’ by brilliant author, Isabel Allende. Born in Peru and brought up in Chile, Allende has written twenty-six best-selling novels, each one written in her wonderful descriptive style.

…..And how significant and poignant these words seem this week.

For me those words hit the spot: to feel safe in the street, to be proage, to be the master of our lives and be loved, cherished and happy. The Soul of a Woman is, as the title implies, about feminism in the broadest sense, about women empowerment, family, being inspired and inspiring. The book, like all her novels, is beautifully written. She paints wonderful imagery and within the first few lines captured me.

Allende is one of my favourite authors. I’ve read many of her novels, but in this book she talks how she was ‘a feminist in kindergarten’ and on the back cover she writes:

“I want to light the torches of our daughters and granddaughters with mine.  They have to live for us, as we have lived for our mothers, and carry on with the work still left to be finished”

I am very happy to say I was given the book by my husband, who has always encouraged and supported me (and our daughter) and who has often been made to understand the feminine viewpoint with 2 outspoken women in his life. I have certainly never felt less than equal, in fact… No! I’d better not say it ….

Going back to “The Soul of a Woman” – I cannot recommend to you more strongly.

#book #feminism #isabelallende #reading #read