"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
But Danticat's powerful second novel is far from a currently modish victimization saga, and can hold its own with such modern classics as One Hundred Years of Solitude and The Color Purple. Its watchful narrator, the Señora's shy Haitian housemaid, describes herself as "one of those sea stones that sucks its colors inside and loses its translucence once it's taken out into the sun." An astute observer of human character, Amabelle Désir is also a conduit for the author's tart, poetic prose. Her lover, Sebastian, has "arms as wide as one of my bare thighs," while the Señora's complicit officer husband is "still shorter than the average man, even in his military boots."
The orphaned Amabelle comes to assume almost messianic proportions, but she is entirely fictional, as is the town of Alegría where the tale begins. The genocide and exodus, however, are factual. Indeed, the atrocities committed by Dominican president Rafael Trujillo's army back in 1937 rival those of Duvalier's Touton Macoutes. History has rendered Trujillo's carnage much less visible than Duvalier's, but no less painful. As Amabelle's father once told her, "Misery won't touch you gentle. It always leaves its thumbprints on you; sometimes it leaves them for others to see, sometimes for nobody but you to know of." Thanks to Danticat's stellar novel, the world will now know. --Jean Lenihan
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Book Description Paperback. Condition: new. Paperback. It is 1937, and Amabelle Desir is a young Haitian woman working as a maid for a wealthy family in the Dominican Republic, across the border from her homeland. The Republic, under the iron rule of the Generalissimo, treats the Haitians as second-class citizens, and although Amabelle feels a strong sense of loyalty to her employers, especially since her own parents drowned crossing the river from Haiti, racial tensions are heightened when Amabelle's boss accidentally kills a Haitian in a car accident. The accident is a catalyst for a systematic round-up of Haitians, ostensibly for repatriation but in fact a prelude to slaughter. Amabelle, caught up in the chaos and confusion, returns to Haiti after much hardship to make a new life, but is for years uncertain of the fate of her lover, Sebastian, and haunted by a nagging sense of guilt.A powerful, fiercely economical and deceptively moving work, blending historical accuracy with lyrical brilliance. 1937, and Amabelle Desir is a young Haitian woman working as a maid for a wealthy family in the Dominican Republic. Racial tensions are heightened when Amabelle's boss accidentally kills a Haitian in a car accident. The accident is a catalyst for a systematic round-up of Haitians, ostensibly for repatriation but in fact a prelude to slaughter. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Seller Inventory # 9780349111636
Book Description paperback. Condition: New. Language: ENG. Seller Inventory # 9780349111636
Book Description Paperback / softback. Condition: New. New copy - Usually dispatched within 4 working days. * Simultaneously haunting and horrific, this is an outstanding novel from a young writer of exceptional ability. Seller Inventory # B9780349111636
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. BRAND NEW ** SUPER FAST SHIPPING FROM UK WAREHOUSE ** 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE. Seller Inventory # 9780349111636-GDR
Book Description Condition: new. Seller Inventory # 4e981982567c7d2f1f7d7dcedc210bf7
Book Description Condition: New. In. Seller Inventory # ria9780349111636_new
Book Description Paperback. Condition: Brand New. 312 pages. 7.68x5.00x1.02 inches. In Stock. Seller Inventory # __0349111634
Book Description Condition: New. 2000. New Ed. Paperback. * Simultaneously haunting and horrific, this is an outstanding novel from a young writer of exceptional ability Num Pages: 320 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 129 x 21. Weight in Grams: 212. . . . . . Seller Inventory # V9780349111636
Book Description Condition: New. 2000. New Ed. Paperback. * Simultaneously haunting and horrific, this is an outstanding novel from a young writer of exceptional ability Num Pages: 320 pages. BIC Classification: FA. Category: (G) General (US: Trade). Dimension: 197 x 129 x 21. Weight in Grams: 212. . . . . . Books ship from the US and Ireland. Seller Inventory # V9780349111636
Book Description Paperback. Condition: New. Seller Inventory # 6666-GRD-9780349111636