“At times I feel as if I had lived all this before and that I have already written these very words, but I know it was not I: it was another woman, who kept her notebooks so that one day I could use them. I write, she wrote, that memory is fragile and the space of a single life is brief, passing so quickly that we never get a chance to see the relationship between events; we cannot gauge the consequences of our acts, and we believe in the fiction of past, present, and future, but it may also be true that everything happens simultaneously. ... That's why my Grandmother Clara wrote in her notebooks, in order to see things in their true dimension and to defy her own poor memory.”

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About Isabel Allende

Chilean novelist and memoirist, Isabel Allende is best known for her sweeping, family-centric narratives that blend magic realism with political and social commentary. Her work often explores themes of resilience, memory, and the bonds between generations, earning her a global readership and critical acclaim.

More from Isabel Allende (171 quotes) →
"At times I feel as if I had lived all this before and that I have alr…" — Isabel Allende | Daily Quotes