I have always spent a lot of time in other times and places--some more real than others. But I've always particularly loved historical fiction for what I can learn from it.
Isabel Allende's Island Beneath the Sea took me to a plantation on Saint Domingue in 1770. (Then a French colony; today, Haiti.)
The story intertwines the destinies of Toulouse Valmorain, the heir to the sugar cane plantation, and Tete, an enslaved nine-year-old woman whom he purchases as a maid for his new wife.
The economics of a plantation dependent on sugar cane and enslaved labor are just part of the fascinating tale. At this time, it was 'economical' to work the enslaved mercilessly. When they succumbed to the brutal conditions, replacements were available and cheap.
Small wonder that people tried to escae. Small wonder that when they rebelled, under Toussaint L'Ouverture, the white of the island were targets.
When Tete, with the promise of her freedom, helps Valmorain escape, the action moves to New Orleans, Its racially stratified society and oppressive Code Noir are offset by the possibility of bettering one's lot--and Tete is determined to see her beautiful daughter (Valmorain's child) succeed in the milieu of high-class cocottes.
It's a saga, a bit of a soap opera with entwined love stories, a missing child, and surprising consequences. The rich description--whether of voodoo rites in the jungle or a ball in New Orleans--is engrossing, as is the steadfast determination of Tete.
I couldn't help being reminded of Gone with the Wind--another multi-generational sweeping saga built around slavery and a plantation, with a plucky heroine who is a survivor. I adored GWTW when I was a teenager and not 'woke' to its paternalistic white washing of slavery. Island Beneath the Sea is a refreshing antidote--and every bit as compelling a read.
Highly recommended.
