Life is full of little mysteries and supernatural happenings that are, perhaps, better left unexplained. In Allende’s novel, they are simply a fabric of the universe, as true as hunger or suffering, as difficult to explain as poverty. Magic is part of the everyday in The House of Spirits, but the most magical part of the book is the way Allende weaves the stories of successive generations into a passionate and tragic, though ultimately hopeful novel. Entrancing and heart breaking, Allende’s novel will move you and challenge you to think about family, success, love, and hope.

I enjoyed this book more than Zorro, which I read at the beginning of the year. I think the writing here is tighter, more emotionally charged, and more fantastical and creative. I think part of the reason for this is that in Zorro, she had to make a legend seem believable, and in this book, she was able to make the everyday into the extraordinary.

Have you ever read a book by an author that you felt ambivalent about only to fall for another book of his or hers?