In this best-selling biography, French and Argentine journalist Alicia Dujovne Ortiz examines the mythology that surrounds Eva Peron as she penetrates the complexities behind Peron's ever-lasting allure. Born in 1919, the illegitimate daughter of destitute Argentine farmers, Eva Duarte spent her adolescence aspiring to the grand and glorious fame of the theater. At the first opportunity, she fled the deprivation of her origins and the backwaters of her poor village for the glittering lights of Buenos Aires. However, because she lacked both formal training and talent to be an actress, Eva quickly realized that it would take many years of hardship for even a small chance at becoming the star of her generation. It was during this time of disillusion that Eva met Juan Peron.