Book Review: Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

First of all, I LOVED this book!

The book tells the story of Maya, a teenager 'in hiding', who has been sent to live with a family friend in Chiloé, an island on the archipelago off Chile. While Maya settles into this community, we learn about the series of events back in her Californian hometown that lead to her to escape. The story masterfully undulates between the present and the past, in a way that is somehow not nearly as annoying as I have found in other books that do the same!

Maya had been virtually abandoned by her parents at a young age, leaving her Chilean grandmother and her warm and loving grandfather to bring her up. Upon the death of her grandpa, Maya spirals down a path of self-destruction, stealing and using drugs. Concerned, her grandparents send her away for rehabilitation in Oregon, but Maya runs away, and is picked up by a truck driver who drugs and rapes her at a motel. Fearing for her life, and left penniless in Las Vegas, Maya falls into a gang of criminals operating around the city, dealing in counterfeit money.

The harrowing account of the depths of Maya’s addiction to drugs during this time was the thing that shocked me the most. Maya is headstrong and determined, and I was willing for her to pull herself out her circumstances, but her addiction traps and I was reading the pages very rapidly hoping she survives.

Allende tells the story in short little chunks; there are no chapters as such, although the seasons are marked. I liked this way of storytelling – it allowed for small anecdotes to be relayed, without dwelling on one thing for too long.

From a bit of research, I have heard that Allende gives genius depth to her characters. I think the depth to Maya was captured so well due to all the stories of all the other characters that she meets, especially on the island of Chiloé. From the circle of witches to the oldest lady on the island, the community and its history and politics are woven into the story so that by the end we have a wonderfully rich image of Maya’s home.

There is just so much packed into this book that it would be impossible to talk about everything, so I’m simply going to say I loved it (again) and I’m glad that I’m back to my positive book reviews after my last one (sorry Elizabeth Heathcote). Giving it a solid 4/5.