Cultural Writing. Criticism. Latino/Latina Studies. An anthology of essays on the life and works of this renowned author by leading scholars in the field of Latin American literature, this volume focuses on Allende's marvelous ability for story telling, which is the secret of her success, dealing particularly with the hidden stories of women's lives. Allende began her writing career as a journalist, editor and columnist for important publications in Chile, and has been a guest teacher at major universities in the U.S., where she now resides. Her major books have been translated into nearly 30 languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide.