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Red Island House: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
From National Book Award–nominated writer Andrea Lee comes Red 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 of Red Island House. When Shay, an intrepid Black American professor, marries Senna, a brash Italian businessman, she doesn’t imagine that her life’s 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 Shay’s 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 Allende’s House of the Spirits and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Americanah, Red Island House showcases an extraordinary literary voice and gorgeously depicts a lush and unknown world.
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“Bahni Turpin is an experienced narrator of international fiction, and it shows in this story…Turpin gives a lively, arch performance…This entertaining title will engage listeners until the very end.”
— AudioFile
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“A captivating take on colonialism, privilege, race, and heritage.”
— Christian Science Monitor -
“Lush natural habitat and privileged ex-pat existence contrast starkly with the island’s poverty and traditions, and Lee makes magic of this.”
— O, The Oprah Magazine -
“Lee whisks you to the island of Madagascar and spins interconnected stories set on the beach.”
— Martha Stewart Living -
“Gorgeous writing, fascinating stories, and a vibrant cast of locals and expats dance around this basic theme…of how the one percent lives in neocolonial paradise.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Daring, riveting, and deep.”
— Danzy Senna, author of New People
Awards
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A New York Times Book Review pick of Best Books Now in Paperback
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About Andrea Lee
Andrea Lee is the author of several books, including the National Book Award–nominated memoir Russian Journal. A former staff writer for the New Yorker, she has written for the New York Times Magazine, Vogue, W, and the New York Times Book Review. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University.
About Bahni Turpin
Bahni Turpin, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several prestigious Audie Awards for her narrations, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. Publishers Weekly magazine named her Narrator of the Year for 2016. She is an ensemble member of the Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. She has guest starred in many television series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Six Feet Under, Cold Case, What about Brian, and The Comeback. Film credits include Brokedown Palace, Crossroads, and Daughters of the Dust. She is also a member of the recording cast of The Help, which won numerous awards.