The Island of Eternal Love (Hardcover)

by Daina Chaviano (Author) "It was so dark that Cecilia could hardly see her..." (more)
Key Phrases: phantom house, Siu Mend, Mei Lei, Doña Rita (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In Chaviano's first English translation, historical fiction is given a strong if awkward shot of the supernatural. Cecilia, a Cuban-born Miami journalist, investigates reports of a phantom house that appears in random areas of the city. As she tries to unlock the mystery, she becomes equally entranced by Amalia, an old woman she meets at a Little Havana bar. With only an eccentric great aunt to call family in her adopted city, Cecilia returns again and again to hear Amalia's chronicle of three bloodlines from across the planet that converge in Cuba. Replete with romance, clashing cultures and bloodshed, Amalia's story also has its share of auras, fairy music and imps (including Martinico, who haunts the women in Amalia's family). A descendant of clairvoyants, Cecilia is enthralled by the old woman, but whether readers will be enthralled is another question. Characters are more quirk than flesh, the dialogue is often stilted and though the supernatural plays a large part, the elements frequently feel uncomfortably inserted (such as the cameo of a goat-hoofed Pan). A stronger grounding—either in reality or the supernatural—might have helped this find its groove. (June)
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Review
"Rich, satisfying...an absolute delight."
—Library Journal

"It's a rich, moving, musical novel, which has already won the Best Spanish Language Book prize in the 2007 Florida Book Awards, and that only makes you wonder where the English versions are of the rest of Chaviano's works."
—LOCUS Magazine

Praise for Daína Chaviano: “Melodious . . . reminiscent of Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits . . . a dream-like haze hang[s] over the novel from start to finish.”
—Críticas (starred review)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover (June 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594489920
• ISBN-13: 978-1594489921
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #825,825 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb, wonderful family saga, July 22, 2008

By	S. Soto - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a family saga that takes place along two parallel lines: one in our time and another that begins in the 19 Century. The modern story revolves around the paranormal investigations of Cecilia, a young journalist researching a phantom house that appears and disappears in different parts of her city, Miami. The other story is told by an old woman whom Cecilia meets in a bar. Every night, Cecilia listens to the story of that woman, which begins in the 19th century in three regions of the world; China, Africa and Spain.

Different magical or supernatural events conspire to make these three stories from the past begin to mix. If you like family sagas, Gothic and fantasy literature, historical novels, and even SciFi, this is a novel for you.

One of the best things is the interaction between the fantastic and the real worlds. I specially liked the connection between humans and fantasy creatures. Be aware though that this is not exactly Magical Realism, as I've read somewhere. The story is more in the tradition of novels like "Little, Big", by John Crowley, where human beings have fantasy traits.

In general, the characters are complex and rich, full of contradictions and doubts about themselves. By the end of the book, you may probably have two or more favorites--and probably one of them will not be human...

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best novels I've read in years, November 18, 2008

By	Ana D. (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This is a book full of intrigue and mystery, not in a thriller sort of way, but more like in a ghost story. However, this is not the traditional Gothic novel either. It is a refreshing mixture of historic and love narrative, with fantastic elements that are perfectly inserted within the plot. I highly recommend it, especially for fans of fantasy, science fiction, love and historical novels, even though this book does not exactly belong to any of those genres either. Sound intriguing? It is!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Free Your Mind and the Rest Will Follow... , July 27, 2008

By	Phyllis Rhodes (Orlando, FL USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The Island of Eternal Love by Daina Chaviano centers on Cecilia, a Miami journalist, who after having migrated during the 1994 Cuban exodus is experiencing bouts of homesickness and depression. At the insistence of friends, she is reluctantly dragged along for a night out and meets an old woman in the back of the club who commences to tell her life story to Cecilia. Finding more interest in the old woman's story than the club scene, Cecilia anxiously returns on a regular basis to hear the next episode in the soap opera-like saga. Therein, the history of Cuba unfolds in the old woman's rendering of an enchanting multi-generational love story.

The reader is transported back to China and follows the migration of a young, hopeful Chinese family to the island and learns of the survival, assimilation, and racial challenges that ensue. The Spanish conquerors and the enslaved Africans are represented in their historical context and the comingling of the races is inevitable and evident in the colorful landscape of Cubans today. What also emerges is the manifestation of curses, superstitions, and mythical lore evidenced in segments where a mischievous imp torments the chosen women of one family for generations and a mysterious phantom house randomly that appears throughout Little Havana, which ironically (or perhaps it is fate) becomes Cecilia's assignment at the newspaper where she is a reporter. The author eventually bridges the significance of the house, the disjointed family saga, and Cecelia's angst to wrap up the novel nicely.

This was my first time reading Chaviano and I chose to read it based on the synopsis, which hinted at a cross-cultural tale that explored the African, Chinese and Spanish ancestry of the Cuban people. While all three cultures were mentioned, I honestly expected more in regards to the African cultural contribution but the novel tended to focus more on the Chinese and Spanish influences - which is fine, I just expected an equal presentation or representation of the tri-cultures. Nonetheless, the novel is a wonderful blend of myth, fantasy, and speculative fiction - it is a refreshing departure from the "norm" for those who can use their imaginations and open their minds to the concepts of predestined love, the influences of the supernatural on the living, and appreciate an alternative approach toward historical fiction

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
July 26, 2008