Isabel Allende Llona, (born 2 August 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" and "City of the Beasts", 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 has lectured and done extensive book tours and has taught literature at several US colleges. She currently resides in California along with her husband, having adopted American citizenship in 2003.