by Kaylie Seed
Content warning: racism
Andrea Lee’s latest novel Red Island House is a piece of literary fiction that reads more like a collection of short stories, with protagonist Shay being the central character throughout each one. Shay is an African American woman who has married Senna, an Italian businessman, and the two of them own a vacation home (the “Red House”) on the island of Madagascar—a stunning backdrop for these stories. Throughout each of the vignettes, Lee paints pictures of various things that have happened in, around, or to the Red House while keeping Shay at the forefront of each tale. Lee touches on themes such as culture, language, racism, classism, identity, and marriage, and how all of these ebb and flow together throughout life.
Lee’s prose is not for all readers as it’s incredibly intricate and at times almost scholarly. This ends up making it a potentially inaccessible read. The descriptions throughout Red Island House are breathtaking and are meant to be read slowly and savoured. This is a book that readers may have trouble getting into because it moves at a remarkably slow pace, yet time jumps drastically between years. Readers shouldn’t go into this one expecting there to be a continuous story, because there isn’t one, and that may be part of the reason why it’s a complicated read. If this one was marketed more as being a collection of short stories, then readers may find it more enjoyable. Readers who enjoy molasses-rich prose and want to take their time with a book will find joy in Red Island House.
*Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review