Autobiography

The genre of Paula is apparent in several elements of the book's construction. First of all, it is written in first person narrative, which the author specifies is her own voice; she names herself clearly in the text as Isabel Allende, not a character with the same name. Then, the foreword situates the work in relation to actual events in the author's life: Allende opens the book by stating, "These pages were written during the interminable hours spent in the corridors of a Madrid hospital... as well as beside [Paula's] bed in our home in California." Throughout the rest of the book, specific references are made within this time frame: the first part is written during the stay in the Madrid hospital; the second part continues in the author's house and ends with Paula's death. Allende further specifies the nature of her writing in Paula when she states...