Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende

Maya's Notebook: A Novel, Isabel Allende.  New York:  HarperCollins Publishers, 2013.  e-book, 315 pps.


Maya Vidal is a teen who got into big trouble after the death of a beloved family member.  The bad guys-- along with the F.B.I.-- were after her and this necessitated her escape to a small island off of the coast of Chile.  While there, she discovers a different way of being.  The title refers to a notebook or a journal that Maya is keeping while she is on the small island.  Maya's entries at first are much like those that I would expect from a recently traumatized victim-- detached with evidence of hyper-vigilence peeking through.  As Maya heals, her entries reflect this healing and become more colorful and emotional.


sapphoq reviews says:  I found Maya's character to be likeable and the novel to be accurate in its' depiction of island life within a somewhat insulated yet deeply caring society of residents.  The writing is lyrical and this is a book not to be rushed through.  I relished every word of Maya's Notebook.  Highly recommended.