Allison Amend, a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, is the author of the novels A Nearly Perfect Copy and Stations West, which was a finalist for the 2011 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature and the Oklahoma Book Award. She is also the author of the Independent Publisher's Award-winning short story collection Things That Pass for Love. She lives in New York City, where she teaches creative writing.
"An endearing chronicle of female friendship and evolution in the
early 20th century ... Amend smartly plies the habitually
underrecognized bonds of sisterhood ... [she] displays her talent
for making solitary humans the most alluring animals among
blue-footed boobies, great frigatebirds and the rest of Darwin's
magnificent crew. On an island bursting with nature's most
remarkable creatures, humanity's depthless -capacity for loneliness
crows most keenly."
--New York Times Book Review "Enchanted Islands is a many faceted
jewel. It's a spy thriller, a survivalist memoir, and a portrait of
a marriage. It's a story of female friendships--Frances' on-again,
off-again relationships with Rosalie and Elke--as well as a
fascinating travelogue most likely made more realistic by Amend's
travels to the islands ... A great summer read, a fabulous story
for all seasons, Enchanted Islands will carry you away."
--Chicago Tribune "A fascinating rumination on identity, friendship
and love ... [Amend] vividly evokes Duluth's bleakness, Chicago's
sparkling bustle, rural Nebraska's quietude and San Francisco's
sophistication. Most enticing of all is the otherworldliness of the
Galapagos. Each character is drawn with nuance and Franny is
eminently appealing -- smart, witty, modest, inventive, brave and
lonely ... The best part of the book is Amend's convincing portrait
of an unconventional, affectionate, adventurous marriage."
--San Francisco Chronicle "Through failed gardens, tragic romance,
and filthy clothes, Amend paints a vivid picture of a woman
surviving in a place where friends and enemies alike can both
enthrall and harm. The result is beautiful, terrifying, and
haunting, a deeply moving lovechild between Elena Ferrante and John
Le Carre"
--Chicago Review of Books "Enchanted Islands isn't your
run-of-the-mill espionage tale ... Amend's novel manages to
encompass a woman's life, the story of a marriage, a tense standoff
between Allied and Axis operatives, and a sensitive examination of
women's friendship ... Amend's strengths as a novelist gain full
flower ... [this] should get top billing in your seasonal TBR
pile."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune "Enchanted Islands is a mesmerizing and
captivating historical novel that is so much more than a spy story.
It's a story about human connection and relationships, the power of
friendship, and the sacrifices people are willing to make for those
they love. It's a story of women seeking their independence, poor
immigrants determined to make a life for themselves, and a world
full of people ready to tell them no. And finally, it's a story
about travel and excitement, new cities and exotic islands,
beautiful landscapes and breathtaking scenery. It's the kind of
book that will make you want to renew your passport. Are you up for
the adventure?"
--Bustle.com "Inspired by the memoirs of Frances Conway, this is
the dazzling fictionalized story of a woman's move from Minnesota
to the Galapagos Islands just before WWII."
--Travel + Leisure "Absorbing ... Amend's spirited rendition of
[Frances Conway's] life reads less like a memoir and more like Jane
Austen. It has acute interpersonal observations and subjective
flights of fancy--not Gertrude Bell so much as Gertrude Stein.
Darwin and Hitler also haunt Enchanted Islands. But the islands
aren't enchanted so much as Conway is."
--BookPage "Secrets, lies, and spies on a faraway island. The
real-life Frances and Ainslie Conway spent years before, during,
and after World War II on the Galapagos Islands, recording their
unusual adventure in two memoirs that have inspired Amend's
pleasurable new novel ... appealing characters and vivid local
color make for an entertaining read."
--Kirkus Reviews "In this shrewdly textured yet directly told tale
of an unorthodox life, Amend fills Franny's worlds of poverty,
intrigue, and indignant old age with rewarding vibrancy and
touching vulnerability."
--Booklist "Amend's mesmerizing third novel ... is a taut, powerful
tale of human relationships and the sacrifices people make to
maintain their balance."
--Publishers Weekly "In Enchanted Islands, Allison Amend distills
the entire life of Frances Conway--one of, if not the, most fully
realized characters I've encountered in the last decade--into a
captivating narrative. It is a nostalgic and yet entirely
unsentimental tale told with elegance and gravitas from a distance
that is somehow both interior and objective. And, as the best
novels do, it raises more questions than it answers. The greatest
thing about the book is the entire, brilliant book."
--Jill Alexander Essbaum, New York Times bestselling author of
Hausfrau "Allison Amend is a wonderful writer--generous and
psychologically astute--and Enchanted Islands is both a sweeping
epic and a moving exploration of the intricacies of friendship.
This is a beautiful novel that will stay with me for a long
time."
--Molly Antopol, author of The UnAmericans "In this compulsively
readable novel, exotic locales and international espionage bend
before the greatest intrigue of all: the life of a captivating
mind. Young Frances escapes a series of Dickensian snares, only to
ensnare herself willingly in the complexities of adult
relationships, in which nothing worthwhile is achieved without some
risk. Revelations wait around every corner as a lifelong friendship
weathers betrayals and a marriage's secrets yield a hauntingly
textured love. Amend exerts exquisite control throughout, deftly
weaving in real history and gracing her prose with flourishes that
lend the work a symphonic feel. Enchanted Islands is as moving as
it is impossible to put down."
--Matthew Thomas, New York Times-bestselling author of We Are Not
Ourselves "Allison Amend's dazzling Enchanted Islands is steeped in
the wondrous history of the Galapagos and bursting with the magic
of pure invention. An elegant stylist and a masterful chronicler of
the most hidden and luminous corners of the human experience, Amend
is a spectacular talent, and this brilliant novel is the
evidence."
--Laura van den Berg, author of Find Me
An endearing chronicle of female friendship and evolution in the
early 20th century ... Amend smartly plies the habitually
underrecognized bonds of sisterhood ... [she] displays her talent
for making solitary humans the most alluring animals among
blue-footed boobies, great frigatebirds and the rest of Darwin s
magnificent crew. On an island bursting with nature s most
remarkable creatures, humanity s depthless capacity for loneliness
crows most keenly.
"New York Times Book Review"
"Enchanted Islands" is a many faceted jewel. It s a spy thriller, a
survivalist memoir, and a portrait of a marriage. It s a story of
female friendships Frances' on-again, off-again relationships with
Rosalie and Elke as well as a fascinating travelogue most likely
made more realistic by Amend s travels to the islands ... A great
summer read, a fabulous story for all seasons, "Enchanted Islands"
will carry you away.
"Chicago Tribune"
"Through failed gardens, tragicromance, and filthy clothes, Amend
paints a vivid picture of a woman surviving in a place where
friends and enemies alike can both enthrall and harm. The result is
beautiful, terrifying, and haunting, a deeply moving lovechild
between Elena Ferrante and John Le Carre"
"Chicago Review of Books"
""Enchanted Islands" isn't your run-of-the-mill espionage tale
...Amend's novel manages to encompass a woman's life, the story of
a marriage, a tense standoff between Allied and Axis operatives,
and a sensitive examination of women's friendship ...Amend's
strengths as a novelist gain full flower ... [this]should get top
billing in your seasonal TBR pile."
" Minneapolis Star Tribune"
"Enchanted Islands"is a mesmerizing and captivating historical
novel that is so much more than a spy story. It's a story about
human connection and relationships, the power of friendship, and
the sacrifices people are willing to make for those they love. It's
a story of women seeking their independence, poor immigrants
determined to make a life for themselves, and a world full of
people ready to tell them no. And finally, it's a story about
travel and excitement, new cities and exotic islands, beautiful
landscapes and breathtaking scenery. It's the kind of book that
will make you want to renew your passport. Are you up for the
adventure?
Bustle.com
Inspired by the memoirs of Frances Conway, this is the dazzling
fictionalized story of a woman s move from Minnesota to the
Galapagos Islands just before WWII."
"Travel + Leisure"
"Absorbing ...Amend's spirited rendition of [Frances Conway's] life
reads less like a memoir and more like Jane Austen. It has acute
interpersonal observations and subjective flights of fancy not
Gertrude Bell so much as Gertrude Stein. Darwin and Hitler also
haunt "Enchanted Islands."But the islands aren't enchanted so much
as Conway is."
"BookPage"
Secrets, lies, and spies on a faraway island. The real-life Frances
and Ainslie Conway spent years before, during, and after World War
II on the Galapagos Islands, recording their unusual adventure in
two memoirs that have inspired Amend's pleasurable new novel ...
appealing characters and vivid local color make for an entertaining
read.
"Kirkus Reviews"
In this shrewdly textured yet directly told tale of an unorthodox
life, Amend fills Franny s worlds of poverty, intrigue, and
indignant old age with rewarding vibrancy and touching
vulnerability.
" Booklist"
Amend s mesmerizing third novel ... is a taut, powerful tale of
human relationships and the sacrifices people make to maintain
their balance.
"Publishers Weekly"
In "Enchanted Islands," Allison Amend distills the entire life of
Frances Conway one of, if not "the," most fully realized characters
I ve encountered in the last decade into a captivating narrative.
It is a nostalgic and yet entirely unsentimental tale told with
elegance and gravitas from a distance that is somehow both interior
and objective. And, as the best novels do, it raises more questions
than it answers. The greatest thing about the book is the entire,
brilliant book.
Jill Alexander Essbaum, "New York Times" bestselling author of
"Hausfrau"
Allison Amend is a wonderful writer generous and psychologically
astute and "Enchanted Islands" is both a sweeping epic and a moving
exploration of the intricacies of friendship. This is a beautiful
novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Molly Antopol, author of "The UnAmericans"
In this compulsively readable novel, exotic locales and
international espionage bend before the greatest intrigue of all:
the life of a captivating mind. Young Frances escapes a series of
Dickensian snares, only to ensnare herself willingly in the
complexities of adult relationships, in which nothing worthwhile is
achieved without some risk. Revelations wait around every corner as
a lifelong friendship weathers betrayals and a marriage s secrets
yield a hauntingly textured love. Amend exerts exquisite control
throughout, deftly weaving in real history and gracing her prose
with flourishes that lend the work a symphonic feel. "Enchanted
Islands" is as moving as it is impossible to put down.
Matthew Thomas, "New York Times"-bestselling author of "We Are Not
Ourselves"
Allison Amend s dazzling "Enchanted Islands "is steeped in the
wondrous history of the Galapagos and bursting with the magic of
pure invention. An elegant stylist and a masterful chronicler of
the most hidden and luminous corners of the human experience, Amend
is a spectacular talent, and this brilliant novel is the
evidence.
Laura van den Berg, author of "Find Me""
"Enchanted Islands" is a many faceted jewel. It s a spy thriller, a
survivalist memoir, and a portrait of a marriage. It s a story of
female friendships Frances' on-again, off-again relationships with
Rosalie and Elke as well as a fascinating travelogue most likely
made more realistic by Amend s travels to the islands ... A great
summer read, a fabulous story for all seasons, "Enchanted Islands"
will carry you away.
"Chicago Tribune"
"Through failed gardens, tragicromance, and filthy clothes, Amend
paints a vivid picture of a woman surviving in a place where
friends and enemies alike can both enthrall and harm. The result is
beautiful, terrifying, and haunting, a deeply moving lovechild
between Elena Ferrante and John Le Carre"
"Chicago Review of Books"
Inspired by the memoirs of Frances Conway, this is the dazzling
fictionalized story of a woman s move from Minnesota to the
Galapagos Islands just before WWII."
"Travel + Leisure"
"Absorbing ...Amend's spirited rendition of [Frances Conway's] life
reads less like a memoir and more like Jane Austen. It has acute
interpersonal observations and subjective flights of fancy not
Gertrude Bell so much as Gertrude Stein. Darwin and Hitler also
haunt "Enchanted Islands."But the islands aren't enchanted so much
as Conway is."
"BookPage"
Secrets, lies, and spies on a faraway island. The real-life Frances
and Ainslie Conway spent years before, during, and after World War
II on the Galapagos Islands, recording their unusual adventure in
two memoirs that have inspired Amend's pleasurable new novel ...
appealing characters and vivid local color make for an entertaining
read.
"Kirkus Reviews"
In this shrewdly textured yet directly told tale of an unorthodox
life, Amend fills Franny s worlds of poverty, intrigue, and
indignant old age with rewarding vibrancy and touching
vulnerability.
" Booklist"
Amend s mesmerizing third novel ... is a taut, powerful tale of
human relationships and the sacrifices people make to maintain
their balance.
"Publishers Weekly"
In "Enchanted Islands," Allison Amend distills the entire life of
Frances Conway one of, if not "the," most fully realized characters
I ve encountered in the last decade into a captivating narrative.
It is a nostalgic and yet entirely unsentimental tale told with
elegance and gravitas from a distance that is somehow both interior
and objective. And, as the best novels do, it raises more questions
than it answers. The greatest thing about the book is the entire,
brilliant book.
Jill Alexander Essbaum, "New York Times" bestselling author of
"Hausfrau"
Allison Amend is a wonderful writer generous and psychologically
astute and "Enchanted Islands" is both a sweeping epic and a moving
exploration of the intricacies of friendship. This is a beautiful
novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Molly Antopol, author of "The UnAmericans"
In this compulsively readable novel, exotic locales and
international espionage bend before the greatest intrigue of all:
the life of a captivating mind. Young Frances escapes a series of
Dickensian snares, only to ensnare herself willingly in the
complexities of adult relationships, in which nothing worthwhile is
achieved without some risk. Revelations wait around every corner as
a lifelong friendship weathers betrayals and a marriage s secrets
yield a hauntingly textured love. Amend exerts exquisite control
throughout, deftly weaving in real history and gracing her prose
with flourishes that lend the work a symphonic feel. "Enchanted
Islands" is as moving as it is impossible to put down.
Matthew Thomas, "New York Times"-bestselling author of "We Are Not
Ourselves"
Allison Amend s dazzling "Enchanted Islands "is steeped in the
wondrous history of the Galapagos and bursting with the magic of
pure invention. An elegant stylist and a masterful chronicler of
the most hidden and luminous corners of the human experience, Amend
is a spectacular talent, and this brilliant novel is the
evidence.
Laura van den Berg, author of "Find Me""
Inspired by the memoirs of Frances Conway, this is the dazzling
fictionalized story of a woman s move from Minnesota to the
Galapagos Islands just before WWII."
"Travel + Leisure"
Secrets, lies, and spies on a faraway island. The real-life Frances
and Ainslie Conway spent years before, during, and after World War
II on the Galapagos Islands, recording their unusual adventure in
two memoirs that have inspired Amend's pleasurable new novel ...
appealing characters and vivid local color make for an entertaining
read.
"Kirkus Reviews"
In this shrewdly textured yet directly told tale of an unorthodox
life, Amend fills Franny s worlds of poverty, intrigue, and
indignant old age with rewarding vibrancy and touching
vulnerability.
"Booklist"
Amend s mesmerizing third novel ... is a taut, powerful tale of
human relationships and the sacrifices people make to maintain
their balance.
"Publishers Weekly"
In "Enchanted Islands," Allison Amend distills the entire life of
Frances Conway one of, if not "the," most fully realized characters
I ve encountered in the last decade into a captivating narrative.
It is a nostalgic and yet entirely unsentimental tale told with
elegance and gravitas from a distance that is somehow both interior
and objective. And, as the best novels do, it raises more questions
than it answers. The greatest thing about the book is the entire,
brilliant book.
Jill Alexander Essbaum, "New York Times" bestselling author of
"Hausfrau"
Allison Amend is a wonderful writer generous and psychologically
astute and "Enchanted Islands" is both a sweeping epic and a moving
exploration of the intricacies of friendship. This is a beautiful
novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Molly Antopol, author of "The UnAmericans"
In this compulsively readable novel, exotic locales and
international espionage bend before the greatest intrigue of all:
the life of a captivating mind. Young Frances escapes a series of
Dickensian snares, only to ensnare herself willingly in the
complexities of adult relationships, in which nothing worthwhile is
achieved without some risk. Revelations wait around every corner as
a lifelong friendship weathers betrayals and a marriage s secrets
yield a hauntingly textured love. Amend exerts exquisite control
throughout, deftly weaving in real history and gracing her prose
with flourishes that lend the work a symphonic feel. "Enchanted
Islands" is as moving as it is impossible to put down.
Matthew Thomas, "New York Times"-bestselling author of "We Are Not
Ourselves"
Allison Amend s dazzling "Enchanted Islands "is steeped in the
wondrous history of the Galapagos and bursting with the magic of
pure invention. An elegant stylist and a masterful chronicler of
the most hidden and luminous corners of the human experience, Amend
is a spectacular talent, and this brilliant novel is the
evidence.
Laura van den Berg, author of "Find Me""
In "Enchanted Islands," Allison Amend distills the entire life of
Frances Conway one of, if not "the," most fully realized characters
I ve encountered in the last decade into a captivating narrative.
It is a nostalgic and yet entirely unsentimental tale told with
elegance and gravitas from a distance that is somehow both interior
and objective. And, as the best novels do, it raises more questions
than it answers. The greatest thing about the book is the entire,
brilliant book.
Jill Alexander Essbaum, "New York Times" bestselling author of
"Hausfrau"
Allison Amend is a wonderful writer generous and psychologically
astute and "Enchanted Islands" is both a sweeping epic and a moving
exploration of the intricacies of friendship. This is a beautiful
novel that will stay with me for a long time.
Molly Antopol, author of "The UnAmericans"
In this compulsively readable novel, exotic locales and
international espionage bend before the greatest intrigue of all:
the life of a captivating mind. Young Frances escapes a series of
Dickensian snares, only to ensnare herself willingly in the
complexities of adult relationships, in which nothing worthwhile is
achieved without some risk. Revelations wait around every corner as
a lifelong friendship weathers betrayals and a marriage s secrets
yield a hauntingly textured love. Amend exerts exquisite control
throughout, deftly weaving in real history and gracing her prose
with flourishes that lend the work a symphonic feel. "Enchanted
Islands" is as moving as it is impossible to put down.
Matthew Thomas, "New York Times"-bestselling author of "We Are Not
Ourselves"
Allison Amend s dazzling "Enchanted Islands "is steeped in the
wondrous history of the Galapagos and bursting with the magic of
pure invention. An elegant stylist and a masterful chronicler of
the most hidden and luminous corners of the human experience, Amend
is a spectacular talent, and this brilliant novel is the
evidence.
Laura van den Berg, author of "Find Me""
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