A brief, lucid introduction by writer Isabel Allende interprets the 500-year historical roots of Central and South American narrative. She writes of fantastic tales told before television, before radio, before writing itself. She tells of "... voices from ... magical Latin American lands characterized by their wild geography, violent history, beautiful myths, legends, and people moved by their great passions." In this way, Allende describes the wide range of the ten brief works of fiction translated by the editors for this unparalleled collection of works by Chilean Marjorie Agosin and Ariel Dorfman, Cuban Reinaldo Arenas; El Salvadorian Mario Bencastro; Argentinian Julio Cortazar; Peruvian Maria Rosa Fort; Mexican Jorge Ibarguengoitia; Panamanian Enrique Jarmillo Levi; Puerto Rican Alfredo Villanueva-Collado; and North American Barbara Mujica. Differing styles and voices make each story a new adventure for readers of this handsomely designed anthology. (Age 10 and older)