Non-fiction

SOUL OF A WOMAN

By Isabel Allende, Bloomsbury Circus, £14.99 (ebook £10.49 HHHHH Isabel Allende’s latest work is a charming and chatty account of her life in feminism, from a childhood in Chile raised by her single mother, to her years as a journalist, three marriages and becoming a mother herself.

The 78-year-old explores tough topics in what is essentially a beginner’s guide to feminism, and is realistic about the fact there’s still a long way to go.

But for every horrifying statistic about domestic violence, rape or abortion, there’s an inspiring story about women working to make the world a better place.

As much as it’s a call to arms for young people to join the fight for equality, this defiant and hopeful book is an ode to the joys of growing old, the magic of romance at any age (Allende met her third husband in her 70s), and the power of female solidarity.