The Sum of Our Days: A Memoir

Isabel Allende's memoir "The Sum of Our Days" is the much awaited sequel to "My Invented Country" and "Paula." Together they provide insight into this brilliant writer's very real life which crosses three continents. Numerous challenges, a sometimes dysfunctional blended "family," incredible coping skills and heartfelt family connections reveal a truly complex human being imbued with soul. Having read all of Isabel's novels, it is inspiring to know the genuine person within. Thank you Isabel!

The Sum of Our Days: A Memoir Just wonderful. If you're a fun of Allende you must have that title as well.

The Sum Of Our Days is a family memoir based on Allende's idea that her deceased daughter Paula would want to know what has happened to the family since she died. Lacking in pretense and affectation, The Sum Of Our Days is an honest portrait of an unusual family, full of interest and charm. Told through a series of short stories that could be letters to Paula's ghost (and were in fact culled from letters Allende wrote to her mother in Chile), The Sum Of Our Days describes a family that has survived drug addiction, death, betrayal and divorce to celebrate birth, travel, friendship and love. The heavy subject matter has been blessed with perspective and humor courtesy of time. It's difficult to write about triumphing in hard times and not sound pompous or self-righteous. But who would lie to their deceased daughter? It's a clever way to tell a family story and the result for the reader is a good story well told. This book is also available in the original Spanish version.

Isabel Allende writes as if every reader is a PhD with a conscience. The elegance of her language simply allows you to walk unhindered through the days and years of her stories--to live the era, to feel each day as it dawns. Reading them in Spanish--the language of their creation--is best, but Allende's translations are only a heartbeat away from the real thing, filled with her intimate conversations flung toward the spirit of her late daughter, Paula; the quotidian visits back and forth of the people who are always welcome in the family home in California. By all means, buy this book if you can; if not, borrow or steal it. You'll be glad you did. ¡Vale la pena!

.....SIEMPRE HE SIDO UNS FIEL LECTORA DE LOS LIBROS DE ISABEL ALLENDE....EXCELENTE ESCRITORA....Y EL LIBRO....LA SUMA DE LOS DIAS....HASTA LO QUE HE LEIDO HASTA EL MOMENTO NO ME HA DESILUSIONADO....TREMENDA LECTURA ....LO RECOMIENDO MUY FAVORABLEMENTE........