Isabell Allende:
Crossing the borders of imagination

By Javier Solano
Production Coordinator

Isabel Allende gives us an epic of nonstop adventure with her sparkling new novel. “City of the Beasts” enchants a fresh generation of readers with its astonishing spirituality — meanwhile keeping us tingling with anticipation throughout its mystical tale for young readers. But that doesn’t mean this book is for kids; rather, it’s for young spirits of all ages.
Alexander Cold, a boy of 15, finds himself shipped off to his grandmother Kate so that his father can concentrate on cancer treatments for Alex’s mother. Kate, a writer of some renown and somewhat of an eccentric, whisks Alex off to the Amazon with her International Geographic entourage. The teen’s mind is wrenched by all the sudden changes, but he becomes enthralled with the expedition.
After some efforts to break up the group, Alex teams up with Nadia, the guide’s daughter, and the two form a bond that unites them throughout the journey. They go into each day with open minds, allowing them to see the good in seemingly evil individuals and the bad disguised as beauty in others.

RAYO, Harper Collins, 2002

The goal of the International Geographic voyage involves finding the mythical beast, said to be nine feet tall, powerful and possibly deadly, reminiscent of Big Foot, Yeti or the Abominable Snowman in a tropical setting. While searching for the creature, Alex and Nadia encounter the People of the Mist, an indigenous tribe capable of blending into their surroundings as though disappearing.
The Indians lead the two children into another, more fantastic adventure within the first one. Their interactions with the primitives help the two teens understand the world from another point of view. The lesson that life exists beyond the school campus, the mall and the movie theater becomes clearer with each new thrilling scene. This is what takes the book far beyond a children’s novel.
The People of the Mist set Alex and Nadia off on a journey to El Dorado. There the two find unlikely treasures, valuables that may enrich their lives in unthinkable ways if they can survive the many obstacles in their paths. Making the right decisions becomes a matter of life or death.
Isabel Allende, through the gifted Columbia-based translator Margaret Sayers Peden, seamlessly educates us while we’re in the grip of her non-stop suspense. Ill treatment for the indigenous people, catastrophic decisions about the environment, and corrupt officials all get equal play in “City Of The Beasts.” More than one moral lesson winds its way through the jungle with the youths.
If you are a fan of Harry Potter, you won’t find strangely named potions and spells in these chapters, but there is unmistakable magic in Allende’s words and enough adventure to dispel the boredom in the most jaded among you. While slated as suitable for readers 10 and up, it certainly wouldn’t be for the faint of heart, as more than one character falls prey to an untimely death or gruesome injury. Since the Amazon is a wild and unforgiving place, the author has not sugar-coated the story. Bad things happen, even to good people, and “City Of The Beasts” makes that point more than once.