Island Beneath the Sea

By: Isabel Allende

Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson

From the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the lavish parlors of New Orleans at the turn of the 19th century, Isabel Allende's latest novel tells the story of a mulatta woman, a slave and concubine, determined to take control of her own destiny in a society where that would seem impossible.

Born a slave on the island of Saint-Domingue, Zarité – known as Tété – is the daughter of an African mother she never knew and one of the white sailors who brought her into bondage. Though her childhood is one of brutality and fear, Tété finds solace in the traditional rhythms of African drums and the voodoo loas she discovers through her fellow slaves.

When twenty-year-old Toulouse Valmorain arrives on the island in 1770, it's with powdered wigs in his trunks and dreams of financial success in his mind. But running his father's plantation, Saint Lazare, is neither glamorous nor easy.

Against the merciless backdrop of sugar cane fields, the lives of Tété and Valmorain grow ever more intertwined. When the bloody revolution of Toussaint Louverture arrives at the gates of Saint Lazare, they flee the island that will become Haiti for the decadence and opportunity of New Orleans. There, Tété finally forges a new life – but her connection to Valmorain is deeper than anyone knows and not so easily severed.

Spanning four decades, Island Beneath the Sea is the moving story of one woman's determination to find love amid loss, to offer humanity though her own has been so battered, and to forge her own identity in the cruellest of circumstances.

Critic reviews

Praise from The Sum of Our Days:

'No amount of acrobatics can outdo the absolute core of Allende's talent: her gift for writing. She can bring even the most inert subjects to life, breathing vitality into them through her prose; if only books were people, her beloved daughter Paula would once again be alive and well.' The Times

'The reader is swept along by the energy of her prose, her brilliance as a story-teller, and the sheer force and warmth of personality.' Michael Jacobs, Independent

'If she wrote Paula as a redemptive exercise in grieving, “The Sum of Our Days” is written in the spirit of thanksgiving. Allende looks on with powerless awe as her grandchildren grow up and out of her control. As ever, her writing glows with generosity and affection for all those around her.' Sunday Telegraph

'Full of life and candid self-revelation "The Sum of Our Days" is a fine vivacious and inspiring memoir about moving on from tragedy and making life bright again.' Melissa Katsoulis, FT

'Positively bursting with love, hilarity and crazy good times: sex, drugs and lesbian Buddhist monks abound in this rollicking tale of the Allende clan's life in their Californian castle, and you'll feel a hundred times richer for reading.' Sunday Telegraph, 'Summer Reading’

Poor performance

The reader of this novel was an inappropriate choice - her pronunciation of the French which fills this novel, was atrocious and her tone of voice was usually, either depressingly soppy, or annoyingly monotonous. If you could give a minus result for performance I would. I found it very difficult to forget the reader and lose myself in the story. It was only the power of Allende's writing which stopped me consigning this to the bin.

Great historical fiction

This is the story of a slave from San Domingue, now known as Haiti. Tete's story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. she has known the terrible life of a slave but also the love if family and friends. i found the historical evolution of the slave situation and rebellion on the island fascinating as well as the life journey of all the people in Tete's life, including her slave master. This is a great family saga for lover's of historical fiction set in the Caribbean and Southern USA.

Captures at once

What did you love best about Island Beneath the Sea?

The story is quite different from those books I've read. Though it is interesting and captive. I enjoyed it a lot.

What about S. Epatha Merkerson’s performance did you like?

The narrator was ok, however sometimes it was difficult to understand where the chapter ends because of the intonation.

Allende visits the Caribbean music to your ears

Would you listen to Island Beneath the Sea again? Why?

Probably not I rarely read books twice.

Have you listened to any of S. Epatha Merkerson’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She did a fabulous job to bring Allende's characters to life I hope to hear her again.

Any additional comments?

Why aren't there more Allende books available on Audible? Also loved the Latin accent of the narrator so suited the book.

Don’t miss this one

An extremely poignant story which moves along at a fast pace. As Allende weaves the story she has Te Te retell it from her perspective. A beautiful story of resilience, love and hope. Don’t miss this one!