Isabel Allende

Year after year, this lecture series brings in some of literature’s heaviest hitters, and yet somehow maintains a surprisingly low profile. Isabel Allende, May’s featured author, is a former journalist and the niece of slain Chilean President Salvador Allende, who was overthrown in a CIA-assisted coup in 1973. Since her first novel, 1985’s The House of Spirits, Allende has garnered international acclaim for a dozen books that are distinguished by their powerful female characters, connections across generations, and rich historical detail. Her latest, a novel on the legend of Zorro, is due this month. Adath Jeshurun Congregation, 10500 Hillside Lane, Minnetonka; 952-847-8637