Red Island House

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

From National Book Awardnominated writer Andrea Lee comesRed Island House,a travel epic that opens a window on the mysterious African island of Madagascar, and on the dangers of life and love in paradise, as seen through the eyes of a Black American heroine.

People do mysterious things when they think they have found paradise, reflects Shay, the heroine ofRed Island House. When Shay, an intrepid Black American professor, marries Senna, a brash Italian businessman, she doesnt imagine that her lifes greatest adventure will carry her far beyond their home in Milan: to an idyllic stretch of beach in Madagascar where Senna builds a flamboyant vacation villa. Before she knows it, she becomes the reluctant mistress of a sprawling household, caught between her privileged American upbringing and her connection to the continent of her ancestors. So begins Shays journey into the heart of a remote African country. Can she keep her identity and her marriage intact amid the wild beauty and the lingering colonial sins of this mysterious world that both captivates and destroys foreigners

A mesmerizing, powerful tale of travel and self-discovery that evokes Isabel AllendesHouse of the Spiritsand Chimamanda Ngozi AdichiesAmericanah,Red Island Houseshowcases an extraordinary literary voice and gorgeously depicts a lush and unknown world.

Author Bio

Andrea Lee is the author of five books, including the National Book Awardnominated memoirRussian Journal,the novels Red Island House,Lost Hearts in ItalyandSarah Phillips, and the story collectionInteresting Women.A former staff writer forThe New Yorker,she has written forThe New York Times Magazine,Vogue, W,andThe New York Times Book Review.Born in Philadelphia, she received her bachelors and masters degrees from Harvard University and now lives in Italy.