Chilean-American author Isabel Allende is famous for using magical realism in her fiction, a stylistic attribute that often overshadows how deeply her stories are rooted in her personal experiences. For instance, her debut novel, The House of Spirits, was formed out of a real-life letter to her ailing grandfather. Allende’s first cousin once removed was Salvador Allende, the controversial former president of Chile and the first Marxist to come to office in Latin America through open elections; Isabel eventually fled her home country to escape death threats from the Chilean government. That background informs her latest work, In the Midst of Winter, which revolves around three strangers, stuck in a freezing New York City apartment during a massive blizzard, who gradually share important pieces of their past. The characters tell stories of fear and uncertainty related to their immigration to the U.S.—and in typical Allende fashion, experience supernatural encounters along the way.

Evelyn’s panicked about being sent back to Guatemala, and her alarm isn’t a thing of the past. Since his inauguration in January, President Trump has made several attempts to prevent additional immigrants from coming to the U.S., most prominently by promising voters a wall separating Mexico from its northern neighbor, and while he hasn’t delivered on this proclamation, he continues to make it a staple of his presidency. On September 5, the Trump administration rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a policy that allowed minors who were born in or entered the U.S. as illegal immigrants to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and to be eligible for a work permit.” Despite dozens of studies showing that DACA has resulted in decreases in poverty, improvements in immigrants’ mental health and outlook, and a notable boost in the economy, Trump continues to create policies that disregard prevailing data about the benefits of immigration to the U.S.

By Isabel Allende (Atria)

Women & Children First hosts an interview with Allende conducted by author Luís Alberto Urrea Thu 11/2, 7 PM Senn High School Auditorium 5900 N. Glenwoodwomenandchildrenfirst.com $32, includes a presigned copy of In the Midst of Winter