Island Beneath the Sea

Island Beneath the Sea
by Isabel Allende

Island Beneath the Sea is an epic historical novel of slavery, politics, plantation life, and the plethora of relationships in between. The novel begins on the island of Haiti (aka Saint-Domingue circa 1770) when it was still a French colony. The history of 18th and 19th century globalization is woven throughout the book as French and Haitian revolutions throw the characters throughout the Caribbean, Europe, and early America via French Creole New Orleans. Allende's historical references peppered throughout plunge the reader into the politics of the day. Told from the perspectives of slaves, concubines, free slaves, and whites Allende touches eloquently on the perspectives and thought processes of each group, giving a seemingly accurate account of the mindset of the time period. Beyond her emphasis on slavery and history, Allende's characters also delve into the religions of Voodoo and Catholicism adding yet another interesting aspect to the story. The history is narrated by several characters and spans decades of their lives. Turning one page can pass seven years. Amongst all of these thick historical elements, it is at times difficult to feel deeply connected to the characters themselves. While each part is told from their multiple perspectives, the story does not have the typical inner dialogue one finds in most character driven novels. Nonetheless it was a tearjerker at several points. Overall it's a thoroughly enjoyable historical novel, with an excellent dramatic representation of the ins and outs of slavery that puts the reader into the time period. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Ines of My Soul: A Novel by Isabel Allende.] -- recommended by Glory B. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in downloadable audio, book-on-cd, downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ official Island Beneat the Sea page on the official Isabel Allende web site ]
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