Bestselling author Isabel Allende on her experiences of love, loss, gratitude and why we need to stay optimistic in uncertain times.  Isabel Allende is an author, philanthropist and activist. She is one of the most widely-read authors in the world, having sold more than 77 million books internationally. Born in Peru to Chilean parents, Isabel won worldwide acclaim in 1982 with the publication of her first novel, The House of the Spirits, which began as a letter to her dying grandfather.  Since then, she has authored more than twenty six bestsellers including Daughter of Fortune, Paula, and City of the Beasts. And her latest book The Wind Knows My Name is out now. Her writing blends magical realism with political and social commentary, exploring themes of family, love, loss, and social justice. She has been recognized with numerous awards and honours, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Book Foundation. Isabel’s book choices are: **The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer **Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar **Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario **Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser **Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood Vick Hope, multi-award winning TV and BBC Radio 1 presenter, author and journalist, is the host of season six of the Women’s Prize for Fiction Podcast. Every week, Vick will be joined by another inspirational woman to discuss the work of incredible female authors. The Women’s Prize is one of the most prestigious literary awards in the world, and they continue to champion the very best books written by women. Don’t want to miss the rest of Season Six? Listen and subscribe now! This podcast is sponsored by Baileys and produced by Bird Lime Media.