The Soul of a Woman: Rebel Girls, Impatient Love, and Long Life

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Spears’ vulnerability shines through as she describes her painful journey from vulnerable girl to empowered woman. With frankness she speaks of each of her marriages, briefly on the loss of a child, her ambitions to succeed as a female author, the value of her close friendships, her views on violence against woman, sexuality and gender equality. Feminism, of course, is always at the forefront!

Objectification of women is so predominant that we don't even perceive it, and in our youth it enslaves us. Feminism has not saved us from that servitude." Allende feels proud of her gender. Most women seem to share that sentiment though Allende knows she is one of the fortunate few to have experienced both the joys of motherhood and professional success. For a woman to feel valued in other ways than through youth and beauty has been for ages a herculean, if not impossible, task. For the longest time, even Allende was convinced that her average looks were detrimental. Because of Chilean prudery, Panchita never knew her own beauty and though she also created beauty, it was never praised by others. Allende is convinced that beauty inside and out goes hand in hand with sensuality and passion. Leading to purpose, these vital human qualities are the key to youthfulness. When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating," begins Isabel Allende. As a child, she watched her mother, abandoned by her husband, provide for her three small children without "resources or voice." Isabel became a fierce and defiant little girl, determined to fight for the life her mother couldn't have. For new Allende readers, Soul of a Woman figures to be an enlightening experience. For me, it was like a visit with an old friend. Having experienced her words many times, this short volume felt like sitting down with a special aunt for a cup of tea. We may not spend much time together but the time we do have is to be cherished. This manual feels like a talk that Allende was unable to give over the past year or perhaps a graduation speech at a progressive school of thought. Despite having few stories that I did not already know, Allende’s words are well received by me. As she approaches eighty years, she vows to continue writing as her life nears the century mark. With her family’s genetic propensity toward longevity I hope this is the case. Isabel Allende is a special person and she never seems to run out of stories to tell. As long as she writes, I will read it, no matter how busy my life may be. Latin America’s feminist movement was always slower on the uptake then other countries so it’s only fair to assume that there may still be a long way to go before women are seen in the same way as their male counterparts.As a young woman coming of age in the late 1960s, she rode the first wave of feminism. Among a tribe of like-minded female journalists, she for the first time felt comfortable in her own skin, as they wrote "with a knife between their teeth" about women's issues. The book is inspiring and full of hope, as well as full of power.

In most of the world, a woman’s value is tied to her youth and beauty and the objectification of women is still very much an issue. On top of that, take a moment to reflect on how men and women are viewed differently on the subject of sex. Men are almost praised for having multiple sexual partners whereas women are vilified. In short, it is one of the most insightful books I have read on the topic and rather than reading my thoughts on it, I strongly suggest you read it for yourselves. Never have I felt such a strong desire to fight for what should rightly be mind after reading a book. I don’t believe that Isabel Allende’s intention was to cause an uprising, but to provide more information on the subject and whilst I don’t intend to start marching in the streets, it has made me realise that perhaps I do let others walk over me more than I should and that I do need to take my future into my own hands. Isabel highlights that it would be easy for someone of the feminism generation to comment saying that the older women should have fought harder but, across the world during this era, women were often happy with their chosen paths in life. Therefore, to challenge this was often never a consideration. It is only, years later, that we realise how their inaction has slowed down our progress. How does Isabel Allende view feminism?Como mencionei no início, esta autora chilena mostra-se feminista até ao tutano e aqui desconstrói todas as manifestações do patriarcado. About the book: “From the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea comes a passionate and inspiring meditation on what it means to be a woman. There are, as is inevitable with a writer of Allende’s abilities, fleeting moments of brilliance and a born storyteller’s flair for detail. She’s insightful when talking about society’s attitude to old age and the pressing need for euthanasia. Beyond that, it is difficult to find much positive to say.

In fact, as a young woman, she honestly believed that because her views were so progressive she was destined for a life of spinsterhood. She stood out from the crowd and was often seen in a less than positive light because of her thoughts. If for any reason you don’t like the word feminist, look for another word. The name is not important as long as the work gets done for yourself and for your sisters in the rest of the world who need it.Being born into a culture that caters to men and where woman have no voice, Isabel witnesses this unfairness firsthand. She watches as her mother struggles with three young children after her husband abandons them, only to become dependent on other men. This becomes the driving force behind Isabel's determination to fight for the kind of life her mother never had and it branches out to her strong beliefs in feminism. When I say that I was a feminist in kindergarten, I am not exaggerating,” begins Isabel Allende. As a child, she watched her mother, abandoned by her husband, provide for her three small children without “resources or voice.” Isabel became a fierce and defiant little girl, determined to fight for the life her mother couldn’t have. For example, let’s look at one reason why women are asked by their husbands and fathers to wear a burka. The idea is that by covering up completely it will avoid sparking male desire. Therefore women are being punished for male weakness if this is the main reason they use for their dress. In the U.S., feminists like Gloria Steinem began to be seen and heard from, as well as seen on television in the 1970’s after NOW, the National Organization for Women, was formed, and the Equal Rights Amendment, originally introduced in 1923 was finally passed in 1972. For many, at the time, feminism was considered not only unnecessary because women were, supposedly, elevated to some sort of pedestal where they were considered to have an advantaged station in life. My problem with the book lay in some of Allende's comments on feminism which felt a little generic and off-hand at times particularly on the subject of the burka and how women wear it purely out of fear of men. This seemed to contrast with her more careful attitudes towards sexuality and gender pronouns and was disappointing to see. And whilst this is part memoir examing Allende's relationship with feminism. I found some of this generalisations did not hit the mark right and some of them were problematic when she spoke about wider feminism. The book as a whole also felt a little disjointed and unplanned which could be because I read an uncorrected proof.

I could go on and on from all the notes I wrote with the things that stood out for me but that would be the whole book. I highly recommend it.Overall, "The Soul of a Woman" is a powerful and inspiring book that will resonate with women of all ages. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities and richness of being a woman in the 21st century. Whether Isabel was examining the inner world of her personal experiences, recounting her own inspiring journey...or offering wisdom and insights - teachings to pass on to the younger generation of women .... At one point, Allende describes The Soul of a Woman as “an informal chat”, and certainly the book has a meandering structure, which sometimes quotes poems and in which Allende’s storytelling skills – the source of this book’s charm – are on full display. Allende’s patriarchal stepfather, in old age, is cared for by a “team of kind women … as if he were a greenhouse orchid”. Wit, as here, frequently enlivens the narrative. Reflecting on an experience of online dating, following her divorce from her second husband, Allende observes – in appealing deadpan style – how in advertisements the “euphemism for horny is ‘spontaneous’ ”. Allende also relates the story of how she met her third husband, who wrote her a fan letter. While conceding that it would be “more convenient to be bisexual or lesbian because women my age are more interesting and age better than men”, she proclaims herself “fatally heterosexual”. Allende’s candour stretches to revealing a dramatic plan to end her life before old age takes away her independence. The anecdote ends with a punchline: I confided that, before coming into her office, I had been reading about our attorney-general’s repudiation of a rape allegation brought against him by a woman who subsequently committed suicide. My GP said that we’d ignore the readings; we’d do a fresh exam next time. This isn’t just about a literary prize however, but about the way that women still feel oppressed throughout the world.