Of Love and Shadows

Of Love and Shadows is a deeply moving novel by the multi-million-bestselling author Isabel Allende, renowned for her works such as The House of the Spirits and The Japanese Lover.

The novel follows Irene Beltrán, an intrepid and determined magazine journalist. Despite her privileged upbringing, Irene defies societal expectations and dives headfirst into her career, using her platform to challenge an oppressive regime. Her investigative partner is the talented photographer Francisco Leal, the son of impoverished Spanish Marxist émigrés. Together, they form a body of resilience and courage, navigating the treacherous landscape of their country overwhelmed by fear and violence.

Their professional camaraderie quickly evolves into a passionate connection, complicated by Irene’s engagement to an army captain. Their journalistic venture leads them to uncover a horrific crime that the regime desperately wants to conceal. As they pursue truth and justice, they place themselves in grave danger, risking their lives to shed light on a darkness that stifles their nation. Ultimately, Irene and Francisco not only fight for justice but also for the love that unites them in the harshest of times.

Praise for Isabel Allende's Of Love and Shadows:

“[Allende] can just as deftly depict loving tenderness as convey the high fire of eroticism. And when you’ve successfully mingled sex and politics with a noble cause, how can you go wrong?” New York Times Book Review

“Allende is a born storyteller.” Chicago Tribune

“The people in Of Love and Shadows are real, their triumphs and defeats are so faithful to the truth of human existence, that we see the world in miniature. This is precisely what fiction should do.” Washington Post

“We are by turns enchanted and entertained... Allende has married the world of magic and political evil most credibly.” LA Times Book Review