Isabel Allende Llona, born in Lima, Peru on August 2, 1942, is a Chilean novelist. Allende, who writes in the "magic realism" tradition, is considered one of the first successful women novelists in Latin America. She is largely famous for her contributions to Latin-American literature, novels such as The House of the Spirits (1982) and City of the Beasts (2002), which have been hugely successful. She has written novels based in part on her own experiences, often focusing on the experiences of women, weaving myth and realism together. She currently resides in California along with her husband, having adopted American citizenship in 2003.

Allende was born in Lima, Peru to diplomat Tomás Allende, the Chilean ambassador to Peru and Francisca Llona Barros. Tomás Allende was the first cousin (with Isabel thus being first cousin, once removed) of Salvador Allende, the President of Chile from 1970 to 1973. She was educated internationally, and her family returned to Chile until the military coup in September 1973 that brought Augusto Pinochet to power changed life for Allende because she was caught up in finding safe passage for those on his wanted lists, helping until her mother and stepfather, a diplomat in Argentina, narrowly escaped assassination. When she herself was added to the list and began receiving death threats, she fled to Venezuela, where she stayed for 13 years. Allende's books have since become known for their vivid storytelling.

Allende has received many international awards, including the prestigious Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. She is also the founder of the Isabel Allende Foundation, which is "dedicated to supporting programs that promote and preserve the fundamental rights of women and children to be empowered and protected." She has been recently called a "literary legend" by Latino Leaders magazine, which named Allende as third-most influential Latino leader in the world in their 2007 article. Her novels have been translated into 30 languages and sold more than 51 million copies.