Maya's Notebook - Tapa dura

"Allende is a master at plucking heartstrings, and Maya's family drama is hard to resist."--Kirkus Reviews

"Gripping...Allende retains the storytelling magic that is her signature, while deftly juxtaposing the alternating universes of the past-including Chile's dark history of political terror-and present...A tale of a girl's journey toward self-discovery, of the fierce power of truth, and of the healing force of love."--Jane Ciabattari, O magazine

"Allende can spin a yarn with the grace of a poet."--Entertainment Weekly

"A gritty, violent, cautionary tale set firmly in the present...But the writing is still all Allende: driven by emotion...framed by her brand of lyrical description."--Miami Herald

What sets Maya's Notebook apart from the usual teen-in-trouble fare is the soaring redemption Maya finds in Chile. The village's peaceful pace is a tonic to both Maya and the reader...a captivating read by a great storyteller."--John Barron, Chicago Tribune

"A brilliant storyteller, Allende creates a giant spiderweb of relationships; pull one thread and the whole structure shudders...fans of Allende and those new to her work will find a great deal of satisfaction in following the often-harrowing but always enlightening adventures of Maya Vidal."--Maribel Molyneaux, Philadelphia Inquirer

"A riveting new novel...From the very start, Maya is in possession of a strong and authentic voice that guides the novel and gives it shape."--Malena Watrous, San Francisco Chronicle

"Bruising and cinematically vivid...Maya's Notebook exerts a raw and genuine power...Its strength is Maya's distinctive voice: vulnerable but spiked with irony, wounded yet defiant, like a teenage emo-punk's pierced tongue."--Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times

"Maya's story is soul-restoring in its fierce conviction that there is no damage done to a society, family or individual that cannot be eclipsed by hope and love. Allende makes you believe that, even if you don't, at least for a while."--Minneapolis Star Tribune

"Isabel Allende enchants in Maya's Notebook."--Vanity Fair

After the death of her beloved grandfather, 19-year-old Maya Vidal, turning to drugs, alcohol and petty crimes, becomes trapped in a war between assassins, the police, the FBI and Interpol, until her grandmother helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile where she tries to make sense of her life. 150,000 first printing.