May 2013
Last week, my mother’s book group selected its list of book discussion titles for next year. The members of the group vote on their selections based on the presentations of members; anyone can present a title. I got a look at the list of what “made it” and what did not. I lamented some of the books that did not make the cut, knowing that they would be great discussion titles. As I was dissecting the list and layering in my own thoughts, I paused for a moment and realized that this is not MY book group. Each list bears the fingerprints of the members of the group, and the selections cannot be dictated. Instead, I need to look forward to hearing about their discussions and what books emerged as their favorites.
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Editorial Content for Maya's Notebook
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Isabel Allende is known for her particular take on magical realism. In the tradition of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, she brings a sense of wonder and enchantment to books about ordinary and extraordinary people in South America. Her latest novel, MAYA’S NOTEBOOK, is just as wonderful and enchanting as her previous ones, but mostly lacking in actual magic. The magic here is her storytelling, setting and unforgettable characters.
"MAYA’S NOTEBOOK is lovely and readable, heartwrenching and smart, as one would expect from an Allende novel."
Teaser
Neglected by her parents, 19-year-old Maya Nidal has grown up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandparents. When her grandfather dies of cancer, Maya turns to drugs, alcohol and petty crime. Her one chance for survival is Nini, who helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile. Here Maya tries to make sense of the past, unravels mysterious truths about life and about her family, and embarks on her greatest adventure: the journey into her own soul.
Promo
Neglected by her parents, 19-year-old Maya Nidal has grown up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandparents. When her grandfather dies of cancer, Maya turns to drugs, alcohol and petty crime. Her one chance for survival is Nini, who helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile. Here Maya tries to make sense of the past, unravels mysterious truths about life and about her family, and embarks on her greatest adventure: the journey into her own soul.
About the Book
Neglected by her parents, 19-year old Maya Vidal grows up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandparents. Her grandmother, Nidia, affectionately known as Nini, is a force of nature --- willful and outspoken, unconventionally wise with a mystical streak, and fiercely protective --- a woman whose formidable strength helped her build a new life after emigrating from Chile in 1973. Popo, Maya’s grandfather, is an African-American astronomer and professor --- a gentle man whose solid, comforting presence helps calm the turbulence of Maya’s adolescence.
When Popo dies of cancer, Maya goes completely off the rails. With her girlfriends --- together they are known as the vampires --- she turns to drugs, alcohol, and petty crime, a downward spiral that eventually bottoms out in Las Vegas. Lost in a dangerous underworld, she becomes caught in the crosshairs of warring forces --- a gang of assassins, the police, the FBI and Interpol. Her one chance for survival is Nini, who helps her escape to a remote island off the coast of Chile. Here Maya tries to make sense of the past, unravels mysterious truths about life and her family, and embarks on her greatest adventure: the journey into her own soul.
