Chilean poet, educator, diplomat, and feminist Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957) rose from poverty in the foothills of the Andes to become the first Latin American to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945. This volume provides both a detailed biography of the author and a careful analysis of her writing.

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Preface Part One: The Secular I. Personal Abnegation and Spiritual Fulfillment II. A Pathway to the Sacred and the Secular III. Family and Personal Matters IV. Self-Education and Survival V. Antofagasta: Desertic North and Arid Behavior VI. Life Changes in Los Andes VII. Sexuality, Humanity and Existential Choices VIII. Punta Arenas: Exile in Land’s End IX. Temuco: A Staging Area X. The Transformation: Chile and Beyond Part Two: The Sacred XI. Critical Perspectives XII. The Hebraic Tradition XIII. A Quest for Religious Harmony XIV. The Poetry of Sacrifice XV. Conclusions on the Sacred and the Secular Appendices A. The Theosophical Society of La Serena B. Zacarías Gómez: A Personal Correspondence C. The Bible: “An Intimate Experience” Chapter Notes Bibliography Index to Mistral’s Works Index to Names and Places

“looks at secular and sacred dimensions of Mistral’s life and work”—Reference & Research Book News; “an indispensable contribution”—Anales de Literatura Chilena; “Chile’s...and Latin America’s...first Nobel laureate in literature, Gabriela Mistral, absorbed in her life and writings Old and New Testament religiosity and studied and practiced Theosophy and Buddhism. In Dr. Taylor’s new, enhanced work he skillfully penetrates these issues as he interweaves the broader context of her religious and human struggles with the latest research and writings. This work, undoubtedly, will aid our understanding of this complex personality and reveal her relevant sacred and secular message to a 21st century audience.”—Pedro Pablo Zegers B., Director of the Writer’s Archive and Curator of the Mistral Legacy, National Library of Chile.