AUDIOBOOK: Ines of My Soul: A Novel [B1250-AB]

2006 AudioBook (10-CDs) narrated by Blair Brown, in nice clean condition except for case-wear. Born into a poor family in Spain, Inés, a seamstress, finds herself condemned to a life of hard work without reward or hope for the future. It is the sixteenth century, the beginning of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and when her shiftless husband disappears to the New World, Inés uses the opportunity to search for him as an excuse to flee her stifling homeland and seek adventure. After her treacherous journey takes her to Peru, she learns that her husband has died in battle. Soon she begins a fiery love affair with a man who will change the course of her life: Pedro de Valdivia, war hero and field marshal to the famed Francisco Pizarro. Valdivia's dream is to succeed where other Spaniards have failed: to become the conquerer of Chile. The natives of Chile are fearsome warriors, and the land is rumored to be barren of gold, but this suits Valdivia, who seeks only honor and glory. Together the lovers Inés Suárez and Pedro de Valdivia will build the new city of Santiago, and they will wage a bloody, ruthless war against the indigenous Chileans-the fierce local Indians led by the chief Michimalonko, and the even fiercer Mapuche from the south. The horrific struggle will change them forever, pulling each of them toward their separate destinies. Inés of My Soul is a work of breathtaking scope: meticulously researched, it engagingly dramatizes the known events of Inés Suárez's life, crafting them into a novel full of the narrative brilliance and passion readers have come to expect from Isabel Allende.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews of the novel: "I absolutely enjoyed this story and recommend it. It's a fascinating look at history that really makes you consider the excitement of Spanish conquistadores, the fierce determination of the native peoples to protect themselves, and the true human cost of it all."; "A tour De force. This gripping novel of historical fiction about the conquest of Chile and founding of Santiago will shake you to your core. The Spanish brutality towards the Indigenous peoples is gut-wrenching, and all for greed , - the acquisition of gold."; "What I liked most about the book is the author's impeccable narration, which at times immerses you in the era described and allows your imagination to run wild."; "Allende is a master of historical fiction novels and this one is no exception. Thoroughly researched and so well written. Women are too often written out of history, and while I was certainly skeptical on reading a book about a conquistadora in Chile, it was worth the read. It was very interesting to follow the story, albeit from the Conquerers' POV."

And from reviews of this Narration: "Love Isabel Allende's writing! I listened to this book on tape, and it was made even more fascinating by the beautiful voice and accent of the reader, Blair Brown. The story is based on fact, and it seems Allende researched the life and times of Ines Suarez thoroughly. Ines was a conquistadora...a brave woman who, along with her lover, worked to build the nation of Chile."; "I enjoyed the narrator. Her accent gave the story the proper Spanish/Latin American feel that it needed, and she did not sound forced or robotic."