A gorgeous work of historical fiction that tells the story of a woman born during the Spanish flu pandemic and who dies during the coronavirus pandemic 100 years later. Allende introduces us to multiple generations of a family and their loves and losses, hopes and disasters, while exploring historical events like the military dictatorships in Chile and Argentina during the 1970s and 80s. I reflect on how this book reminds me of my own grandmother and what this book can teach us about the current moment.

I recommended the following movies for a deeper dive:

Machuca

La Historia Oficial

I referenced the following articles during the episode:

https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/briefing-book/southern-cone/2021-03-23/argentinas-military-coup-what-us-knew

https://www.mediamatters.org/russ-vought/undercover-interview-project-2025-architect-gets-candid-initiatives-radical-goals-and