Isabel Allende wrote her famous work The House of the Spirits in 1985. It was her first book and was originally published in Spain. In it, she tells the story of a Chilean family, focusing on three women—a young girl, her mother, and her grandmother—as they struggle to keep their family together during chaotic times. The story is part fiction and part truth, as Allende herself suffered from political oppression while she lived in Chile. Her writing style is highly praised, and she is often referred to as a gifted storyteller.

Felisberto Hernandez, a Uruguayan, wrote his Piano Stories in 1993. This is a collection of tales written in the style of magic realism. The tone of his writing is quite different from that of Bridal, but for a male perspective and another take on creativity from a...