Isabel Allende is a Chilean-American author best known for her novel Eva Luna, which was published in 1987. Allende is one of the most widely read Spanish-language authors in the world and has written over 20 books, including novels, memoirs, and children's books. She is considered to be one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, a literary movement that began in the 1960s and 1970s. Allende has won numerous awards for her work, including the National Book Award and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.