Island Beneath the Sea

This novel, told by Tete, an enslaved woman of Haiti and Louisiana, is filled with graphic detail about the Haitian revolution and of the lives of women in the Caribbean - drudgery and finery, depending on desirability as a sexual partner or a sugar cane cutter, or both. It's also about the privilege enabled by that "one drop" of white blood, and by the impact of geopolitics on both regions. Tete is sold as a child and ends up being raped by Toulouse Valmorain, a planter from France, at age 11. She has two children by him and also becomes the lover of Gambo, an African lieutenant to Toussaint L'Overture, founder of modern Haiti. The reader is not spared the brutality of sugar cane harvesting in the inhospitable climate, and the suicides show more and death from overwork that result. There's a perfect balance here between the political and the family lives of Tete and Violette, a courtesan, and how indebted Valmorain is to both for his life and those of his children. There's only a tiny modicum of peace and justice for the heroic Tete, and Allende leaves the reader wondering about the fate of the four children under her care at the close of the book. show less

In short, this book was amazing. I struggled to know whether to give it four or five stars, but in the end I relented and gave it the highest possible score. I just loved it so much, in spite of the fact that it was so long that it took me two weeks to read it.

The book has quite an ensemble cast, drawn from a range of race and class backgrounds. The first half of the book is set in the French colony of Saint-Domingue in the late eighteenth century; with the great revolt in which slaves won their independence, the action moves to Louisiana. I felt that all Allende's characters were skilfully depicted, and obviously the products of the backgrounds they'd come from - this is probably one of my main criteria in judging a novel - it came show more across as really left-wing, because of how it COULD show that individuals are the products of their situations and all that.

There are definitely some characters I absolutely despised - I annotated the novel as I went in my Kindle, and I think 90% of my notes are yelling at Valmorain. His character is a plantation owner who deludes himself about how enlightened and generous he is because he doesn't mistreat his slaves quite as badly as his neighbour Lacroix, so I think you can see how I'd get frustrated. I was pretty sure I wouldn't hate anyone in the novel as much as him, but then along came Hortense Guizot... it was a hard-fought battle but I think she triumphed in the end. Valmorain DID rape Tété on a regular basis for years and treat her appallingly in general, and apparently considered raping his daughter Rosette as well... but then Hortense was deliberately malicious and murdered Rosette by proxy so... tough as this decision was to make...

Anyway, in summary - although I reserve the right to edit this review if I think of something more to add - this was an amazing exploration of French colonial society, with characters that I felt were hugely true to life and logical, much as I hated some of them. Well worth reading! (Dec 2012) show less

A beautiful and rich novel with depth, complexity, mysticism, and insight into the human condition. The entire time I was reading this book, I felt that the heat of the tropical setting (which felt like its own character) forced the other characters to live more closely to many of the more primitive elements of human beings -- like lust, greed, violence and the search for pleasure.

Fundamentally, the book is a story of the slave rebellion of the 1700s that made Haiti an independent state and what happened to the white colonists who were forced to flee to save their lives. Through the stories of a white plantation owner (who relocates to New Orleans), his legal family, his black concubine, and assorted children of all races -- Isabel show more Allende exposes the complexity and brutality of slavery in all the ways it was accepted as part of everyday life. Where the shade of one's skin determined a person's place in society. And also where societal hypocrisy is deeply rooted with both whites and blacks living by rules that dictate the many horrors that are allowed as long as they aren't mentioned in polite society.

The book has a similar feel to Allende's HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS where one isn't quite sure where the lines are between reality and belief. Voodoo and historical island beliefs and traditions are intertwined with Western culture. And the characters are so well developed and multi-dimensional that they become flesh and blood. A masterful telling of a dark chapter of history, illuminated only by the fledgling abolitionist movement. show less

A beautiful and rich novel with depth, complexity, mysticism, and insight into the human condition. The entire time I was reading this book, I felt that the heat of the tropical setting (which felt like its own character) forced the other characters to live more closely to many of the more primitive elements of human beings -- like lust, greed, violence and the search for pleasure.

Fundamentally, the book is a story of the slave rebellion of the 1700s that made Haiti an independent state and what happened to the white colonists who were forced to flee to save their lives. Through the stories of a white plantation owner (who relocates to New Orleans), his legal family, his black concubine, and assorted children of all races -- Isabel show more Allende exposes the complexity and brutality of slavery in all the ways it was accepted as part of everyday life. Where the shade of one's skin determined a person's place in society. And also where societal hypocrisy is deeply rooted with both whites and blacks living by rules that dictate the many horrors that are allowed as long as they aren't mentioned in polite society.

The book has a similar feel to Allende's HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS where one isn't quite sure where the lines are between reality and belief. Voodoo and historical island beliefs and traditions are intertwined with Western culture. And the characters are so well developed and multi-dimensional that they become flesh and blood. A masterful telling of a dark chapter of history, illuminated only by the fledgling abolitionist movement. show less

“There is no worse suffering than to love with fear."

This is a sweeping story of resilience, love, and survival set against the backdrop of 18th-century Saint-Domingue (modern-day Haiti) and New Orleans. It follows Zarité, a young woman born into slavery, who endures unimaginable suffering yet never loses her fierce spirit. Her life is deeply entangled with her owner, Toulouse Valmorain, a French plantation owner who is both dependent on and oppressive toward her. Through Zarité’s eyes, we experience the horrors of slavery, the Haitian Revolution, and her enduring quest for freedom and dignity.

In addition to being one of the most celebrated authors in contemporary literature, Allende is also the niece of Salvador Allende, the show more former president of Chile who was ousted in a military coup in 1973. This event deeply shaped her life and her writing, accounting for her recurring themes of resilience, displacement, and the struggle for justice that are woven into her novels.

Isabel Allende is hands down one of my favorite authors. She consistently delivers novels that are impeccably researched, beautifully written, and rich with complex characters. Her ability to transport readers to another time and place while delving into the deepest aspects of human nature is nothing short of amazing.

This was a heart-wrenching read, particularly because of the relationship between Zarité and Valmorain. He is a pathetic excuse for a man—weak, entitled, and totally unscrupulous. While he depended on Zarité to keep him afloat, he viewed her as mere property, incapable of seeing her humanity. His broken promises and cruel secrets made him despicable, yet tragically reflective of the era’s harsh realities.

Despite the heavy subject matter, Allende never leaves her readers without hope. Through Zarité, she paints a portrait of unwavering strength and resilience, showing how even in the darkest of circumstances, the human spirit can endure and find light.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction, this book deserves a spot on your reading list. You'll learn so much about Haiti, New Orleans, and slavery. It's not an easy read, but it will teach you a lot while touching you emotionally. show less

I don't know what to say about this.
On one hand the story is gorgeous and lyrically written.
On the other hand the author includes a ton of antiblackness.
In a story about chattel slavery and the single most successful uprising against chattel slavery in recorded history.
The author makes a lot of effort portraying the black Haitians as pitiless but doesn't go to the trouble of accurately portraying the nightmare that chattel slavery was everywhere, but most especially on the islands.
I think enslaved blacks in Haiti lived an average of 3 years, due to the extremely brutal nature of chattel slavery as practiced on the island and the relative ease of replacing chattel slaves.
White Haitians packed enslaved Haitians anuses with gun powder when show more bored. None of this behavior makes it into the novel.
The novel pretends chattel slavery in Haiti was comparable to US style chattel slavery, when that's not historically accurate.
In addition the author repeatedly conflates indentured servitude with chattel slavery.
This is the equivalent of comparing the US Concentration Camps-where we illegally and inhumanely held Japanese Americans in captivity during WWII with the Nazi Concentration Camps. See what I did there? Clearly both behaviors were horrid, both are based on xenophobia and yet one is understood to be far worse than the other.
The same is true of chattel slavery in comparison to indentured servitude.
Both are crimes against humanity and both are wrong.
Making the case that indentured servitude is equivalent to chattel slavery is both slavery apologist and a support of white supremacy.
The KKK supports the theory that the "Irish" were slaves under indentured servitude.
To find a writer billed as a POC pushing white supremacist lies is jarring.
It is important to note that being born in South America doesn't make you a POC and my assumption is this author is white. Certainly she is antiblack and a slavery apologist.
This book is horrible and I have no clue how no one has called the author on her blatant racism. show less

The book tells the story of Zarité, a slave who grows up on Haiti and during the slave rebellion stays with her owner to take care of his children. She travels with him to Cuba and later to America. In America she finally gets her freedom, but her past still haunts her.

I really loved this book. Allende has a great talent for telling historical stories. Her characters are lifelike and you soon grow attached to them and get very involved in their lives. The descriptions of the areas are great and really give you an idea of what life was like at that time.
One thing I really liked about this novel was how Allende shows the different viewpoints and manages to really give you some idea of how the slave-owners felt and thought. For me it is show more hard to imagine, but I do think these owners generally didn't view their slaves as 'human' and this book gives a good insight into what it might have been like to be a slave-owner in those days; especially Toulouse, who starts out with great ideals but ends bitter and cruel, is a character who really comes to life, even if he's not a 'nice guy'.

Though the story in itself is quite sad, and many bad things happen to Zarité and other slaves, it is also a positive story. It shows courage and strength and love, and shows how even in bad situations people can still find joy. Aside from the slave owners and the white people who look down on the slaves, there are also people who are genuinely concerned for the well being of the slaves and support them in their quest for freedom. show less