by Andrea Lee
Reviewed by Janet:
Set in a beautiful vacation home in Madagascar, this novel immerses us in scenes from the lives of Shay, an African American professor of literature, and Senna, her Italian husband. In fact, the house is so central to the story that it almost becomes a character as well. In this foreign and exotic world, away from the strictures of Western culture, Shay struggles with identity, privilege, loyalty, and relationships as she navigates her role at the Red Island House and in her marriage.