Island Beneath The Sea: A Novel

by Isabel Allende

“Allende is a master storyteller at the peak of her powers.”—Los Angeles Times

The New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits and A Long Petal of the Sea tells the story of one unforgettable woman—a slave and concubine determined to take control of her own destiny—in this sweeping historical novel that moves from the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the lavish parlors of New Orleans at the turn of the ninteenth century.

The daughter of an African mother she never knew and a white sailor, Zarité—known as Tété—was born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue. Growing up amid brutality and fear, Tété found solace in the traditional rhythms of African drums and the mysteries of voodoo.

Her life changes when twenty-year-old Toulouse Valmorain arrives on the island in 1770 to run his father’s plantation, Saint Lazare. Overwhelmed by the challenges of his responsibilities and trapped in a painful marriage, Valmorain turns to his teenaged slave Tété, who becomes his most important confidant. The indelible bond they share will connect them across four tumultuous decades and ultimately define their lives. 

• ISBN10: 0063021773
• ISBN13: 9780063021778
• Publish Date: 30 June 2020 (first published 27 April 2010)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Imprint: HarperVia
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 592
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780063021778

Reviews

[ktshpd]

This book is similar to _House of the Spirits_, especially in the plot twists and archetypical characters. It seems like the background is changed, but the story lines are similar. I think that Allende is a fairly interesting author because she uses unique details, but the framework is similar. This is a good book for comfort reading rather than reaching out for something new.