I think that he put off his flight for me, for the way we looked at each other, the messages of little stones in the henhouse, the treats he stole for me in the kitchen, the anticipation of embracing each other that was like the prickling of pepper over all our bodies, and for those rare moments when we were alone and could touch. “We will be free, Zarité, and we will be together forever. I love you more than anyone, more than my father and his five wives, who were my mothers, more than my brothers and my sisters, more than all of them together, but not more than my honor.” A warrior does what he has to do, that is more important than love, I understand that. We women love more and for longer, too. I also know that. Gambo was prideful, and there is no greater danger for a slave than pride.
(from Island Beneath the Sea, pages 121-122)
Isabel Allende never fails to remind me why I love historical fiction and makes me question why I haven’t already read everything she’s written. I’ve read three of her books now, and they always teach me something new and push me to do some research. Island Beneath the Sea is a brilliantly crafted novel with much attention to historical detail, and Allende successfully tells a story about slavery and colonialism through the eyes of several very different characters, from a slave and a plantation owner to a prostitute and a soldier.
Island Beneath the Sea is an ambitious novel, but Allende makes writing about a complicated event in history look easy. The story opens in Saint-Domingue, a French colony that eventually will become Haiti, the world’s first independent black republic. Toulouse Valmorain travels to the island from France in 1770 to assume control of his father’s sugar plantation, Saint-Lazare. He is a stylish man with an interest in books and intellectual conversation, and it takes him some time to adapt to the hot and humid climate and the fact that he now owns hundreds of African slaves. He puts a mulatto overseer, Prosper Cambray, in charge, and while he does not support the harsh treatment of slaves who do not easily submit to their fate, Valmorain still views them as property and does not question the brutal punishments inflicted by Cambray. After years spent getting the plantation under control and amassing a lot of money, Valmorain travels to Cuba for business and eventually brings home a Spanish bride with some serious mental problems.
Through his dealings with a mulatta prostitute in Le Cap, Valmorain purchases Zarité (Tété), who will live in his home and care for his wife and son. Tété is the center of the novel, and Allende allows only her voice to be heard through the first person viewpoint. In these chapters, many years have passed, and Tété looks back on the events of her life. Tété, a slave born to an African mother and a white sailor, has lived a hard life, yet she discovers the power of love, develops a true affection for her master’s son, and continues to look toward the day when she will know freedom. She doesn’t have to deal with the backbreaking work of cutting the sugar cane, but she is at the mercy of Valmorain, who is both attracted to her and dependent upon her. The African drums and voodoo help her to survive.
Spanning many decades, Island Beneath the Sea shows in great detail the horrors of the plantations and civil war. Allende writes about the complex class system of Saint-Domingue, comprised of grand blancs (rich whites), petits blancs (poor whites), affranchis (free people of color), and the slaves. There is an uprising that pits the whites and the affranchis against one another, and the slaves — whose population greatly exceeds that of the whites — lead their own rebellion. The French Revolution plays a major role in the uprising, with decrees giving affranchis political rights, a push to abolish slavery in Saint-Domingue, and some colonists wanting to declare independence from France and align themselves with Britain. I knew nothing of this history before reading this book, and Allende does a great job weaving these events into the story.
Allende puts readers right into the action, allowing them to feel the fear of the plantation owner and his slave as they flee from the rebels and the tension of the chaos in Le Cap when civil war erupts. She shows both the good and the bad in each of her characters, and focusing on one plantation, one master, and one slave makes the story more personal and emotional. She takes readers on a journey from Saint-Domingue to Cuba to Louisiana, enriching the pages with history and descriptions of society, culture, and setting. This book will break your heart with the detailed accounts of cruelty and you will question how people can treat human beings so horribly and allow slavery to continue into the present. Tété’s plight will make your heart ache, but Allende’s prose is controlled so that it doesn’t become melodramatic. Island Beneath the Sea strikes the right balance between history and emotion, and it was both hard to read and hard to put down.
Check out my reviews of other Isabel Allende books:
Thanks to TLC Book Tours for allowing me to participate in the blog tour for Island Beneath the Sea. To follow the tour, which includes reviews of other Allende novels, click here.
Disclosure: I received a copy of Island Beneath the Sea from HarperCollins for review purposes. I am an IndieBound affiliate and an Amazon associate.
© 2011 Anna Horner of Diary of an Eccentric. All Rights Reserved. Please do not reproduce or republish content without permission.
I won a copy of this book recently and see I need to read it soon. My book group discussed Allende’s book, PAULA, non-fiction about her daughter’s death. It was a powerful book and I’ve meant to read a novel of hers ever since. Thanks for such a comprehensive review, Anna!
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Thanks, Kay!
I’ve heard good things about PAULA, but I think that might be too hard of a book for me to read. With a daughter of my own, I’m not sure I want to read about her daughter dying. I’m sure it was a great book, though.
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I love Allende — so excited to read this one. Loved this review — thorough and lovely to read!
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Thanks, Audra!
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Allende is one of my favorites and I think your review rocks! I have not read this or Ines, but I look forward to picking them up after reading some of her other books. I’ve always loved her ability to weave in history with fiction in a way that is not boring. This sounds like another winner…I almost picked it up at Target the other day.
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You should have, but of course, you can borrow mine. I think you’re the one who introduced me to Allende with Daughter of Fortune.
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I’ve never read any of Allende’s work, but I listened to an interview of her and found her to be fascinating. I’ve wanted to try one of her books ever since.
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I’m sure that interview was fascinating. I hope you give her books a try.
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I need to read more by Allende as well – ALL of her books look fantastic, yet I’ve only read (ok, listened to) one of them.
Thanks for being on the tour Anna!
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That’s better than nothing! 😉 You’re very welcome!
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I read two books by her I think and really enjoyed them. And I have wanted to read more for some time…but so lazy
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I don’t think you’re lazy…it’s probably more of a case of too much to read and so little time for reading!
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I have read a few of Allende’s books but I don’t understand why I haven’t read more! Her writing is beautifully and I’m always amazed by her ability to make me feel like I’m walking beside her characters watching what’s going on. Islands Beneath the Sea sounds very sad in spots but I am interested in reading about Haiti and the time period Allende covers. But I particularly want to know Tete’s story, she sounds like such an intriguing and inspiring woman.
Thank you for a great review!
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My pleasure! Allende’s writing is so beautiful, I think she could make me enjoy reading about anything.
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I haven’t read any of her work and I think the time to start is now. Thanks for this review.
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You’re in for a treat then!
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I would agree, Allende writes a mean historical fiction, infused with her passion and love of life. You have made me want to pick this one up!
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I hope you get a chance to read it. I think you’d like it.
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Every tie I read one of Allende books I wonder why I don’t take the next few months ans read them all!
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Me, too!
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I am not sure why, but even though so many people whose opinions I trust RAVE about Isabel Allende, I just never consider reading her. I am sure once I *finally* crack open a book by her, I will be immediately drawn in and wonder what took me so long to try her out in the first place.
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I hope so. I’d love to hear what you think about her work.
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I have not read this author but after reading your review I ma wondering why I haven’t. I’ll have to take a look into her books. This sounds like a fascinating read.
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I do hope you’ll give Allende’s books a try.
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I love Allende but I’m starting to wonder if she doesn’t much like men. There are hardly ever any truly good men in her books.
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You make a good point. I never thought about that but it’s something worth pondering.
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One thing I really love about Allende is that she makes so a reader with no prior knowledge of the time period can jump right into the story and never feel lost. Sometimes all those details can be a bit overwhelming – especially when you are trying to read the entire novel in two days because the tour date just sort of jumped out at you. 🙂
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I take it you’re in that predicament. LOL Well, hopefully you find the book a page turner and get it read in time.
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I’ve read only one of Allende’s books (DAUGHTER OF FORTUNE), but I’ve GOT to get my hands on this! Between that inviting cover and the wonderful reviews I’ve read, it’s going on my birthday wish list!
It’s a period of history that I don’t know much about, and I like that Allende has woven these facts so seamlessly into her novel.
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I hope someone surprises you with it for your b-day. She does an excellent job infusing her fiction with historical facts.
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wow, this sounds intriguing. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it. Great review.
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Thanks, Naida!
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[…] later) 14. Far to Go by Alison Pick (WWII) 15. The Winter of the World by Carol Ann Lee (WWI) 16. Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende (Saint-Domingue, 1770) 17. The Katyn Order by Douglas W. Jacobson (WWII) 18. The […]
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