Eva Luna

Eva Luna is a profound and mesmerizing tale by the acclaimed author Isabel Allende, who brought you the unforgettable novels The House of the Spirits and The Japanese Lover. The novel introduces us to Eva Luna, a striking character whose life is as extraordinary as the stories she narrates.

Eva Luna's journey begins with her unconventional birth to a professor's assistant and a snake-bitten gardener. Orphaned at a young age and working as a servant, Eva discovers her gift as a masterful storyteller. She captures the essence of the people she encounters, weaving their lives into her tales with an imaginative spark that many find enchanting.

Throughout the novel, readers meet a diverse and eccentric assembly of characters, all seen through Eva's captivating eyes. From the Lebanese émigré who offers her refuge, to her devout godmother with a fervent belief in saints, to the street urchin turned guerrilla leader, each character is brought to life with vivid detail and emotional depth. Eva also introduces us to a celebrated trans cabaret star and a young refugee whose escape from postwar Europe irrevocably alters her life.

As Eva recounts her story, Allende vividly breathes life into a complex and dynamic South American landscape, exploring the disparities between the rich and the poor, the ordinary and the grotesque. The novel becomes a celebration of the power of imagination and the transformative nature of storytelling, showing how Eva's tales serve as both a sanctuary and a tool for survival.

Praise for Isabel Allende’s Eva Luna:

"Vibrant, colourful characters; the ordinary fused with the grotesque; a Latin American setting, tropical this time; vivid, elegant narrative. The narrator, Eva Luna, is herself a story-teller in the Allende tradition." – Guardian

"An evident affection for words, compassion for the oppressed and the inarticulate, the daring ambition to draw cross-sections of whole societies... Allende's work glows." – New York Times

"Sumptuous... a tale that spans forty years and moves from a surreal jungle to a modern-day urban capital where even the most apolitical are driven to risky anti-government activities." – Chicago Tribune

"Allende rearranges reality with a blend of memories, mysticism and imagination." – The Philadelphia Inquirer

"A remarkable novel, one in which a cascade of stories tumbled out before the reader, stories vivid and passionate and human." – Washington Post

"Magnificent... Allende is a prodigious fabulist, weaving extraordinary tales." – Publishers Weekly