Here, in an astonishing debut by a gifted storyteller, is the magnificent saga of proud and passionate men and women and the turbulent times through which they suffer and triumph. They are the Truebas. And theirs is a world you will not want to leave, and one you will not forget. Esteban -- The patriarch, a volatile and proud man whose lust for land is legendary and who is haunted by his tyrannical passion for the wife he can never completely possess. Clara -- The matriarch, elusive and mysterious, who foretells family tragedy and shapes the fortunes of the house of the Truebas. Blanca -- Their daughter, soft-spoken yet rebellious, whose shocking love for the son of her father's foreman fuels Esteban's everlasting contempt... even as it produces the grandchild he adores. Alba -- The fruit of Blanca's forbidden love, a luminous bearty, a fiery and willful woman... the family's break with the past and link to the future.

Isabel Allende delves deep into the world she created in her previous book Eva Luna to bring her readers delightful tales of the strange joys and sadnesses of South America. Weaving stories of passion, sensitivity, love and death, she brings to life colourful characters against poor and barren landscapes.

"Me apprepiento de los platos deliciosos rechazados por vanidad, tanto como lamento las ocasiones de hacer el amor que he dejado pasar por ocuparme de tareas pendientes o por virtud puritana,"ya que "la sexualidad es un componente de la buena salud, inspira la creacion y es parte del camino del alma. . .Por desgracia, me demore treinta anos en descubrirlo."

Isabel Allende is one of the world's most beloved authors. In 1988, she introduced the world to Eva Luna in a novel of the same name that recounted the adventurous life of a young Latin American woman whose powers as a storyteller bring her friendship and love. Retruning to this tale, Allende presents "The Stories of Eva Luna, " a treasure trove of brilliantly crafted stories. Lying in bed with her European lover, refugee and journalist Rolf Carle, Eva answers hes request for a story "you have never told anyone before" with these twenty-three samples of her vibrant artistry. Interweaving the real and the magical, she explores love, vengeance, compassion, and the strenghts of women, creating a world that is at once poingnantly familiar and intriguingly new. Rendered in the sumptuously imagined, uniquely magical style of one of the world's most stunning writers, "The Stories of Eva Luna "is the conerstone of Allende's work. It is not to be missed by anyone -- whether a devotee of Ms. Allende's oeuvre or a new acquaintance to her work.

An exotic dance that beguiles and entices... The enchanted and enchanting account of acontemporary Scheherazade, a wide-eyed Americanteller-of-tales who triumphs over harsh realitythrough the creative power of her own imagination...