Although she claims to have been an outsider in her native land -- "I never fit in anywhere, not into my family, my social class, or the religion fate bestowed on me" -- Isabel Allende carries with her even today the mark of the politics, myth, and magic of her homeland, Chile. In My Invented Country she explores the role of memory and nostalgia in shaping her life, her books, and that most intimate connection to her place of origin.
The military coup and violent death of her uncle, Salvador Al...