It's Simply Beautiful

I just finished Paula, written by Isabel Allende, and translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden (1995). This book has just about everything. The main story is about not the death of, but the dying of Ms Allende's adult daughter. During the daughter's hospitalization, the mother (who was already a successful and famous writer) began writing her family history for the daughter to read when she awakens from her coma. Much of the story takes place in Chile, Venezuela or other South American countries. There's quite a bit of well-told history, as well as romance, betrayal, superstition, spirituality, hope and despair. It's a beautifully written book. If you haven't read it, you're missing a wonderful story of the love between a mother and daughter.