Isabel Allende's new novel, "A Long Petal of the Sea," is out

Happy release day to author Isabel Allende!

Her brand-new novel, A Long Petal of the Sea, follows refugees of the Spanish Civil War who make their way to Chile.

Allende explains more of the historical context of the novel, which is based on true events, as well as why she was inspired to write it now, in an interview with NPR. (Audio is embedded at the end of this post.)

If you’d prefer just to check out the book, head to the New York Times for an excerpt (in addition to a review, linked within the passage).

And revisit Allende’s past interviews with Writer’s Digest — one from 2002, another from 2008 — on the writing process, grief, and more.

Related posts

• Isabel Allende receives National Book Foundation medal

• Interviews with Isabel Allende and James Baldwin