Reader's Guide: April 2009

	The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende

In this deeply revealing second memoir, after Paula, novelist Allende...utilizes her family and the complex network of their relationships as the linchpin of the narrative. While weaving in her candid opinions on love and marriage, friendship, drug addiction, the writing life and religious fanaticism, Allende continues to work through the grief over her daughter's death...

Listen to an interview with Isabel Allende.

1. Throughout The Sum of Our Days, Isabel directly addresses her deceased daughter, Paula. What does this technique add to the book? What does it say about the author?

2. Family is a predominant—perhaps THE predominant—force in Isabel's life. How does her struggle to achieve balance, especially with respect to her son and grandchildren, resonate with you? What do you think of the "tribe" lifestyle she describes?

3. While Isabel admits she has a hard time letting go of people, others in the book have a hard time letting go of ideas or dreams. What effect do those struggles have on the story?

4. The people in Isabel's life represent many different cultures, and much of the humor in the book lies in descriptions of cultural adjustments. Are there examples you especially enjoyed?

5. What role do friends and friendship play in Isabel's life? What role do they play in the memoir? Do you have friends who play a similar role in your life?

6. Did you learn anything that surprised you about Isabel's approach to writing novels?

7. At the end of the book, it struck me that The Sum of Our Days is a love story. Do you agree?