I’m currently reading Paula by Isabel Allende, and once again, her writing has completely swept me off my feet. Allende’s words are like a trance—there’s something subtle in how she hooks you into her story without you even realizing it. And before you know it, you’ve turned page after page, deeply immersed in her world.

At first, I hesitated to read Paula, knowing it’s a memoir and not fiction. I wasn’t sure I was in the mood to face something so raw and personal, but that was just me being a mood reader—it had nothing to do with the book itself. Once I started, Allende’s storytelling pulled me in. Even as she shares the most tragic moments of her life, she does it with such a matter-of-fact tone, often accompanied by an undertone of hope. It’s this resilience and grace in the face of hardship that I deeply appreciate, especially as someone who also writes about resilient characters.

The Shared Strength in Our Stories

In Paula, Allende shows a kind of strength I understand all too well. Like her, I’ve faced difficult experiences from a young age—rejection, boundary violations, moments that robbed me of my safety. And like her, I learned to survive. At first, I survived by locking everything away. But now, I survive by acknowledging what happened, accepting those painful moments, and still choosing to live with happiness and contentment.

This memoir, though deeply personal, feels so relatable to me. I share with Allende this ability to find hope in the darkest places, and that’s why her writing inspires my own. Reading her story makes me hopeful, not just for my writing, but for my ability to tell stories that resonate with readers. It reminds me why representation matters so much—why I want to keep pushing for more books by Latine, Black, Afro-Latina, and other marginalized voices.

Representation: Seeing Ourselves in Each Other’s Stories

Allende may not be Dominican like me—she’s from Chile, while I’m from the Dominican Republic—but there’s something familiar in her writing. It’s that shared Latinx culture, those norms and lived experiences that are so deeply woven into both her words and mine. Even though we come from different countries, the cultural threads of resilience, family, and hope connect us.

And that’s why representation in literature is so important. When I read authors from marginalized backgrounds, whether they’re Latina, Black, Afro-Latina, or Asian, I can hear my own voice in theirs. In their stories, I see pieces of myself reflected back at me, and that’s powerful. It’s what keeps me going, what fuels my passion for writing characters who are resilient, hopeful, and real.

I’m excited to read more from Allende and to dive into books by other similar authors. This experience reminds me once again that our stories matter, and the more we share them, the more we uplift each other.