Isabel Allende’s The Soul of a Woman is every woman’s memoir

Nonika Singh

Can a soul, which is known as aatman if we were to go by Indian philosophy, have a gender? This might be too hypothetical a question, but women certainly have an indefatigable spirit that the patriarchal society, as a rule, tries its level best to cow down to submission. For, in every generation and in every corner of the world stands a woman like this renowned author from Chile. Isabel Allende bucks the trend and establishes her own mores.

A self-confessed feminist at five, Allende, now settled in California, tells her story as it takes off from a fatherless childhood (her father abandoned her mother) to find her niche as a successful writer. On the surface, it may seem like a regular memoir of an independent woman. But dig deeper and Isabel, author of over 26 books translated into 42 languages, could well be telling the story of millions of women, including her own mother.

India and its near brutal treatment of the girl child too surface in an anecdote that Allende recounts almost like a fable. Her style is anecdotal and her feminism is not the bra burning sorts. Married for the third time at 75, she does not denounce a woman’s need for love or companionship. Yet, all through the book, she challenges patriarchal values and taboos that insidiously work against women. Only, her reflections are peppered with humour, insight and bite.

Each page is rippling with wisecracks worth pondering over. Even when she defines terms like patriarchy or feminism or brings to us harsh facts about atrocities against women, such as genital mutilation, she is extremely readable. With effortless ease, she weaves her story with those of other feminist heroes, like the first female president of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, or activist Olga Murray. In her inimitable way, she recreates the ancient tale of the Caliph of Baghdad, once again raising the question, “what do women want”, and answering it too.

If Bella Abzug’s words — “In 21st century women will change the nature of power instead of power changing the nature of women” — are coming true, one must thank women like Isabel for ushering in the new dynamics. If she views the new wave of young feminists as ‘defiant, creative and with a sense of humour’, she emerges no different. Mae West said, “You are never too old to become younger.” Isabel’s voice is as wise as youthful and echoes with resolute feminine power.