Island Beneath the Sea

Novel by Isabel Allende

I would like to BE Isabel Allende. I have read her memoirs and even though she has had some horrible experiences (losing her daughter to a debilitating illness, living through revolution in Chile), she has made an amazing life for herself and is writing some of the richest novels I can find. Her stories are dense and sweet, satisfying and easy to read all at once.

This particular novel is out of Allende's usual sphere of writing; while she usually writes about California or Chile, this takes place in the colony that became Haiti and then in New Orleans during the late 1700's and early 1800's. A slave named Tete and her owner, Toulouse Valmorain, have a complicated relationship that grows ever more intertwined through a slave revolt, various marriages, and a move away from their home colony of Saint-Domingue.  A statement by the author says she became interested in this point in history when researching New Orleans for her novel Zorro (which is also fantastic). It's easy to see why Allende was intrigued: the stories and culture of the Caribbean and New Orleans are suggestive and sinuous and savory. Yet against this delightful backdrop are the horrors of slavery and war, and then layered upon that are the lovely, intelligent, humanistic characters that Allende imagines for us. Rich indeed.

What I loved most about this book was the humility and grace the main characters exhibited. That is, the protagonists. The good guys. The antagonist, Valmorain, repeatedly shows how weakness and hubris prevents him from being the man he could be. He does some despicable acts, yet is inescapable in the story. But the women (whom Allende always leans toward in her stories) are either loudly or quietly strong, clever in their survival, giving in their relationships with each other, dedicated to their children, humble about their faults, and always reaching for happiness. I just love the way Allende paints them. I suppose that's what makes me want to be more like her; her characters are fictional, but she must have some of these traits in order to portray them in her stories.

Next up: a series of young adult novels that I'm considering assigning to my honors social studies class. These kids are lucky--if I don't like the books, they won't have to read them.