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In 1877,
a young woman is washed ashore on the Danish coastline. Her name is
Maximilienne Carpentier, and she tells her rescuers a fantastical tale
of gunrunners
and pirates, and of an island to which she is the sole heir.
Maximilienne dies
soon after, but leaves behind a diary.
The diary
lies in a Danish parish for centuries, collecting dust, until it is
found, and
translated. The Islander
is Maximilienne’s story.
The premise
of The Islander is intriguing.
Maximilienne is almost completely isolated from society for much of her
life.
Indeed, her childhood is almost idyllic, framed as it is by loving
parents and
a beautiful island home. Yet, all is not as it seems. Why are
Maximilienne and
her family living so far from civilization? Who is the sailor who
brings them
supplies twice a year?
Unfortunately,
as intriguing as these questions are, I felt the answers to be somewhat
lacking. It’s surprising that, with so many mysteries surrounding her
existence, Maximilienne only wonders about them after the fact, when
there is
no one left to explain.
This leaves
her in the unenviable position of having to gather information
piecemeal, from
various unreliable sources. In my opinion, a great many of her troubles
could
have been avoided if she’d only thought to ask her parents earlier. If
Maximilienne was a curious child, as we are told, why didn’t she?
In any
event, trouble comes, in the form of her villainous Aunt Camille. This
was, in
my opinion, the second flaw in the novel. Camille and her henchmen are
so
relentlessly evil that they become
caricatures. Their crimes read like a laundry list of heinous deeds.
Rape.
Murder. Slavery. Gunrunning is the least of their offenses. I felt that
the
story would have been better served if the author had toned down his
villains.
A little can go a long way.
Finally,
while The Islander had a promising
set up, the ending did not deliver. The resolution seemed inadequate to
the build
up it had received. Therefore, I am hesitant to recommend The
Islander to fellow readers.
Reviewed by Erika Sevea
for the Road
to Romance
February 11, 2005
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