Journal Entry 1 by CityofLakesGirl from Covehead, Prince Edward Island Canada on Sunday, December 19, 2010

This novel takes place on the island of Sainte-Domingue, known today as Haiti, during the slave rebellion of 1791, and the ensuing revolution; and the New Orleans of the early 19th century. On one level, it’s the story of Tété, a slave girl who is bought by a French sugar baron and it's also a bloodcurdling depiction of the brutality for which the Antillean sugar trade was notorious.

This was a great read so I want to share it! 

Journal Entry 2 by perryfran at North Ogden, Utah USA on Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Received in the mail today. Thanks CityofLakesGirl for sharing. I have one other bookring to read before this one. Will try to get to this soon.

Bookray list from forum:


perryfran-US
MKtiny-UK
GronnLivsstil-Norway
grovalskii-Germany
 

Journal Entry 3 by perryfran at North Ogden, Utah USA on Saturday, March 19, 2011

Journal Entry 4 by perryfran at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Saturday, March 19, 2011

Released 1 yr ago (3/19/2011 UTC) at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom

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On its way to the UK to continue this bookray. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 5 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Thursday, March 31, 2011

Just arrived from the States. I'm looking forward to reading this when I've finished my current book. Thanks perryfran and CityofLakesGirl for sharing. 

Journal Entry 6 by MKtiny at Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire United Kingdom on Sunday, July 17, 2011

It took me a long time to read, but I enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of Isabel Allende's books so I was looking forward to reading it. It's not her best book, but it tells a good story and is full of the strong, capable, fiesty women that I expect to meet in her books.

Thanks for sharing this book, CityofLakesGirl. GronnLivsstil asked to be skipped so it's on its way to grovalskii in Germany. 

Journal Entry 7 by grovalskii at Zehlendorf, Berlin Germany on Thursday, August 04, 2011

the book arrived while I was on vacation. Nice to come home to a book package! Thanks CityofLakesGirl for sharing the book and MKtiny for mailing it across the Channel to me. I love Isabel Allende's books and am looking forward to reading this one. 

Journal Entry 8 by grovalskii at Zehlendorf, Berlin Germany on Friday, September 16, 2011

really enjoyed this book. before I started the book, I didn't know anything about the history of Haiti, so it was a lesson in history, too.

I will offer this book as a bookray.

The order so far:
1. sedna5213 (Germany, int. shipping)
2. Kalise (Austria, EU shipping)
3. Penelopewanders (Switzerland, EU shipping)
4. Appelsiini (Finland, ship int.)
5. RonOren (UK, ship int)
6. lydoula (Belgium, ship int)
7. Lunatum (Finland, last if possible)
 

Journal Entry 9 by sedna5213 at Charlottenburg, Berlin Germany on Monday, September 26, 2011

Picked up the book from the post office today. Have got 2 other books to finish, but I've got holidays coming up and I intend to relax and read a lot!
Thanks everybody for sharing!

Certainly an interesting book. I didn't know an awful lot about the history of Haiti before. 

Journal Entry 10 by sedna5213 at Charlottenburg, Berlin Germany on Saturday, November 12, 2011

Released 6 mos ago (11/11/2011 UTC) at Charlottenburg, Berlin Germany

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

The book is on its way to Austria. 

Journal Entry 11 by kalise at Linz, Oberösterreich Austria on Monday, November 14, 2011

Book arrived safely here in Austria. It looks lovely! Thank you for sending! :-) 

Journal Entry 12 by kalise at Linz, Oberösterreich Austria on Monday, November 28, 2011

What a fantastic read! It completely swept me away and I finished the book within a few days. It is an epic tale, wonderfully written, with such atmospheric detail! Packed with history, and never boring. The story of Tete gripped me til the end. At the same time I appreciated learning more about slavery in Saint-Domingue, and life in Louisianna when it was still a French colony.

Thank you for sharing this gem!

The book will journey on to Switzerland soon. 

Journal Entry 13 by kalise at Linz, Oberösterreich Austria on Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Released 6 mos ago (11/30/2011 UTC) at Linz, Oberösterreich Austria

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Book is in the mail! Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 14 by penelopewanders at Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Friday, December 09, 2011

Wow! Santa Claus came early this year! (or maybe it was Saint Niklaus who comes on December 6...?) Not only did this book arrive safely in the Alps, but it came with two RABCKs!!! Thank you so very much, what a lovely surprise.
There seems to be a bit of a snowball effect going on here right now, and not just on the slopes - rings signed up for eons ago are suddenly rolling in - and this when I'm being buried under snowdrifts of work! I will try to get to this soon, but it may be a few weeks, I'm afraid. At any rate the book has arrived here safely and is now tucked up warm and cozy until it's ready to hit the road again.
Thank you so much for making this available, and thanks for sending the book and its travelling companions. 

Journal Entry 15 by penelopewanders at Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Sunday, January 08, 2012

Oh dear, this has been with me a while, hasn't it!?
I hadn't read anything by Allende in years, and I once again appreciated her style. The characters in the story are strong and moving, and all too credible. The ending is a bit inconclusive, but I was ready for an ending so didn't mind too much. I had to read this in bits and pieces because of real life and work intruding, but everytime I managed to pick it up, it was an easy plunge into the book's universe. A fascinating period of time. As I've been reading a spiral of books on the theme of slavery for the past few years, this fit right in.
Thanks so much for making this available - I've PMed for the next address and hope to be able to send it on soon. 

Journal Entry 16 by penelopewanders at Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland on Monday, January 09, 2012

Released 4 mos ago (1/9/2012 UTC) at Hasliberg, Bern / Berne Switzerland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Got the PM with the address while I was parcelling other books, so this went down off the mountain this morning. Thanks for making this available. Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 17 by Appelsiini at Valkeakoski, Pirkanmaa Finland on Thursday, January 19, 2012

This one arrived today, thanks! I have quite a pile of rings and rays on my TBR, but I'll try to be quick! 

Journal Entry 18 by Appelsiini at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland on Saturday, March 31, 2012

I have enjoyed many Allende's books but I'm sorry, I just can't finish this one! :( This was not an easy decision to make, but I have now read about 1/3 of the book and the story is just not that gripping that I feel like finishing it, especially as I still have quite a big pile of TBR-books. This is not a boring book and I would like to read it some summer when I have less to think about irl! :)  

Journal Entry 19 by Appelsiini at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland on Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Released 1 mo ago (4/4/2012 UTC) at Lempäälä, Pirkanmaa Finland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On it's way to UK! Travel safe!  

Journal Entry 20 by RonOren at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Saturday, April 14, 2012

I'd completely forgotten that this was on its way to me; it's always a lovely surprise to hear the "thunk" of a book coming through the mailbox ! Thanks for sending this through, Appelsiini.

I've just started on another ring, so will need a few days to finish that first; then I'll get to this one. 

Journal Entry 21 by RonOren at Cambridge, Cambridgeshire United Kingdom on Thursday, May 24, 2012

I really enjoyed this book! Although it deals with the historic events and society in Sainte Domingue and New Orleans around the turn of the 19th Century, I wouldn't call it a historical novel. It's more about the life of Tété and her family (adopted or real) than about the sweeping changes that form the backdrop.
I've not read much of Isabel Allende, but I'm starting to see a pattern here: she's unbelievably good in describing characters. Not a single character in the book is one-dimensional; for most, I moved between liking and disliking them at some point in the book. Tété alone is the one that never lost my sympathy.

Thanks ever so much for sharing this book with us, grovalskii! I'll get it moving to lydoula as soon as I can.

Update, 26/05/12: now sent to lydoula. Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!