Isabel Allende’s novel The House of Spirits is a rare story in its ability to transcend time and culture. First published in 1986, The House of Spirits is a popular book club choice as well as a novel often found in high school and college literature classes. Because it is without a doubt literary, its pure readability came as something of a surprise.

Allende is a Latin America writer in the style of bestseller Paul Coelho (The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage). All English versions of her novel have been translated, but judging by favorable reviews in several languages, the English version has not lost any depth in translation.

The House of Spirits is about the patriarch of a family, Esteban Trueba and the tribulations of his three-generation family. It is a novel of family secrets and family pride, with the lesson to be learned in the end about the familial bond.

Esteban is married to Clara, a mysterious woman whose secrets torment her husband. Esteban loves his wife passionately, but it haunts him that he can never fully know her or receive her love in return.

Their daughter is Blanca, a rebellious young woman who earns her father’s hatred when she has a love affair with his foreman. Their union produces Alba, the grandchild Esteban loves above all else.

The House of Spirits is richly filled with historical fiction centering on Latin America. The story culminates with a 1973 coup that finds Esteban and Alba on opposites of the political fence.

The end of the novel finds a depressing note of futility in the face on an authoritarian political regime, but the Trueba family manages to find redemption in each other.

Now, two decades after The House of Spirits has been published, Seattle’s Book-It Repertory Theater has adapted Allende’s novel for the stage. The production will run June 8-24.

The House of Spirits is a worthy read for anyone interested in magical realism, the fierce love of family or a timeless novel befitting the title of literature.