Exclusive Palm Beach Reading:
Two days ago, I received an advance reading copy of a new book and I couldn't put it down. The story was mesmerizing and beautifully written. It felt like a memoir, but it wasn't. The author, Isabellande, has a fascinating way of telling personal stories with vivid descriptions of time and place.
The story doesn't have a strong sense of urgency, but the details are so well crafted that I was drawn in from the beginning. It starts when the main character is born in 1920 during the Spanish flu pandemic, and ends in 2020 when she is isolated and reflecting on her life. The book covers a hundred years of history and sheds light on the injustices faced by indigenous people, the spread of communism in Latin America, domestic violence, women's rights, and the LGBTQ experience. I particularly appreciated that the author doesn't mention the name of the country where the story takes place, as it could easily be any country in Latin America.
I must admit that I shed a few tears while reading this book. If you love historical fiction, I highly recommend it.