The Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende

The New York Times review of this book describes Isabel Allende as a lone female amongst authors of the 'Magical Realism' school of writing, and that is a wonderfully descriptive title for her. Starting with 'The House of the Spirits' she has walke din the footsteps of the great South American authors that came before her. This book is less in that vein, but no less of a compelling story for all of that.
The story is told from a female perspective, which is a hallmark of Allende's work. Her women are not lucky, nor do they always fare particularly well, but they are strong, they are resilient, they are flexible, and they survive. The story takes place in the late 18th century--beginning in Haiti. Zarité is a slave who we follow from young girlhood into her life as a grandmother--which doesn't take as long as you might think. Pretty girls who are enslaved become 'concubines' early, as young as 12 or 13 years old, and so have children early as well. As do their children, being born into life as a slave as well. The book moves to New Orleans at the beginning of the 19th century, as Napoleon's empire is starting to show a crack or two and France looks vulnerable, beatable even. As that happens, Haitian slaves begin to rise up against their viscious, hard-hearted masters, and Haiti moves from an island of brutal slavery to one of brutal independence with a vestige of slavery thrown into the mix of misery. The extended family moves to New Orleans for a variety of reasons, and are there at an uncertain time--when Napolean sells the Louisianna purchase to Jefferson, and the Spanish and the French in the city are uncertain what the change of nationality means for them.
Napoleon Bonaparte, upon completion of the agreement to sell France's holdings in the U.S., a piece that is equal in size to what the young nation already has, stated, "This accession of territory affirms forever the power of the United States, and I have given England a maritime rival who sooner or later will humble her pride." A fine example of why cutting off your nose to spite your face is never a particularly bright plan. But their loss was the United States and Jefferson's gain, and the story that Allende weaves includes all the historical truths of the time, but it is told in a wonderful and accessible way. This might be my favorite story of hers to date.