"I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to." The place is Haiti and the speaker is Sophie, the heroine of Edwidge Danticat's novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory. Like her protagonist, Danticat is also Haitian; like her, she was raised in Haiti by an aunt until she went to the United States age 12. Indeed, in her short stories, Danticat has often drawn on her background to fund her fiction and she continues to do so in her debut novel.

The story begins in Haiti, on Mother's Day, when young Sophie discovers that she is about to leave the only home she has ever known with her Tante Atie in Croix-des-Rosets, Haiti, to go live with her mother in New York City. These early chapters in Haiti are lovely, subtly evoking the tender, painful relationship between the motherless child and the childless woman who feels honour bound to guard the natural mother's rights to the girl's affections above her own. Presented with a Mother's Day card, Tante Atie responds: "'It is for a mother, your mother.' She motioned me away with a wave of her hand. "When it is Aunt's Day, you can make me one.'" Danticat also uses these pages to limn a vibrant portrait of life in Haiti from the cups of ginger tea and baskets of cassava bread served at community potlucks to the folk tales of a "people in Guinea who carry the sky on their heads."

With Sophie's transition from a fairly happy existence with her aunt and grandmother in rural Haiti to life in New York with a mother she has never seen, Danticat's roots as a short-story writer become more evident; Breath, Eyes, Memory begins to read more like a collection of connected stories than a seamlessly evolved novel. In a couple of short chapters, Sophie arrives in New York, meets her mother, makes the acquaintance of her mother's new boyfriend, Marc, and discovers that she was the product of a rape when her mother was a teenager in Haiti. The novel then jumps several years ahead to Sophie's graduation from high school and her infatuation with an older man who lives next door. Unfortunately, this is also the point in the novel where Danticat begins to lay her themes on with a trowel instead of a brush: Sophie's mother becomes obsessed with protecting her daughter's virginity, going so far as to administer physical "tests" on a regular basis--testing which leads eventually to a rift in their relationship and to Sophie's struggle with her own sexuality. Soon the litany of victimisation is flying thick and fast: female genital mutilation, incest, rape, frigidity, breast cancer and abortion are the issues that arise in the final third of the novel, eventually drowning both fine writing and perceptive characterisation under a deluge of angst.

Still, there is much to admire about Breath, Eyes, Memory, and if at times the plot becomes overheated, Danticat's lyrical, vivid prose offers some real delight. If nothing else, this novel is sure to entice readers to look for Danticat's short stories--and possibly to sample other fiction from the West Indies as well. --Alix Wilber, Amazon.com

A Moving story, 04 Apr 2005
Breath, Eyes, Memory is one of the books written about the Caribbean that I really enjoyed. Like Edwidge Danticat's other novels and stories this story is well written in a lyrical evocative style. What I cherish about the story is the fact that I came to have a better understanding of Haiti, their culture which is close to that of Benin in Africa and their rich though mysterious belief. Much of the pains, fears, horrors and complications of Haitian history are unveiled in this amazing story which can make you cry, sigh, laugh, angry and happy in different turns. This true to life story is a recommended read.

Also recommended: DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES,TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Unbelievable!, 25 Feb 2003
I read this book in one day. It is a fascinating account of what so many in our society - those who move to the U.S from different places with different traditions - go through today. This push and pull relationship between homeland and home. This tug-of-war between what is American and what is not. And the traditions, whether good or bad. Do they stay, or should they go? Danticat does not answer these questions, for each person must answer it for themselves. Yet, she gives us a book we can relate to, we can fall in love with, and hopefully one day we will resolve what we need to resolve and know the answer to our foremothers' calls of freedom.

A thought provoking read, 14 Jan 2003
My heart goes out to Ms Danticat, who must have lived much of the trauma attributed to Sophie in Breath, Eyes, Memory. It is a riveting account of two very different cultures and a young girl who is pulled in both directions. The author is a strong woman who deserves success.
I have since read "THe Farming of Bones" by the same author, and would highly recommend this.

poignant, beautiful in its simplicity, 18 Jan 2000
This is one of the most moving , and touching books I've ever read. It is so elegantly written: there is poetry in every other page. I lent this book to all my friends and they were equally moved. Though it tells the story a mother/daughter relationship set in the context of the Haitian culture, it is equally applicable to women all over the Third World.

Orphaned narrator Amabelle Désir works as a housemaid for a powerful military man who becomes her enemy, and her best and only childhood friend Valencia--his wife. Amabelle is Haitian, working by force of necessity in the Dominican Republic, and in love with Sebastian Onius, a migrant Haitain "farmer of bones" (cane-cutter) and vanquisher of the nightmares that drag her into the land of the dead.

Cut off from her family and homeland by the river that forms the riven border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic ("Heaven--my heaven--is the veil of water that stands between my parents and me. To step across it and then come out is what makes me alive."), Amabelle's life condenses a metaphor for the incipient civil war between "two different peoples trying to share one tiny piece of land." Like all civil wars, this one begins in the family. Caught up in the bloody events of the Haitain Massacre of 1937, Amabelle is faced with the dilemma of choosing between a beloved friend whose people become her persecutors and a lover of her own nation who seeks to open her eyes to stark political realities. Language, Amabelle learns, is the key to these realities in a land where pronunciation of the name of a common herb marks a person out for murder, encapsulated by the story of the Dominican Generalissimo chasing a Haitian worker in the cane fields:

"The Generalissimo had him in plain sight and could have shot him in the parsley, but he did not because ... he had a realisation. Your people did not trill their r the way we do, or pronounce the jota. 'You can never hide as long as there is parsley nearby,' the Generalissimo is believed to have said. 'On this island, you walk too far and people speak a different language. Their own words reveal who belongs on what side.' "

Making a friend of language, Edwidge Danticat places herself on the side of the power of remembrance, at whose service she places her uncommon gift of writing poetic prose infused by exact and suspenseful storytelling. In The Farming of Bones Danticat returns to the land of her birth and retraces the lifelines of memory that have been rubbed away by decades of displacement. She reaps a harvest that offers history a fable of survival. --Rachel Holmes

A Moving story, 04 Apr 2005
Breath, Eyes, Memory is one of the books written about the Caribbean that I really enjoyed. Like Edwidge Danticat's other novels and stories this story is well written in a lyrical evocative style. What I cherish about the story is the fact that I came to have a better understanding of Haiti, their culture which is close to that of Benin in Africa and their rich though mysterious belief. Much of the pains, fears, horrors and complications of Haitian history are unveiled in this amazing story which can make you cry, sigh, laugh, angry and happy in different turns. This true to life story is a recommended read.

Also recommended: DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES,TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Unbelievable!, 25 Feb 2003
I read this book in one day. It is a fascinating account of what so many in our society - those who move to the U.S from different places with different traditions - go through today. This push and pull relationship between homeland and home. This tug-of-war between what is American and what is not. And the traditions, whether good or bad. Do they stay, or should they go? Danticat does not answer these questions, for each person must answer it for themselves. Yet, she gives us a book we can relate to, we can fall in love with, and hopefully one day we will resolve what we need to resolve and know the answer to our foremothers' calls of freedom.

A thought provoking read, 14 Jan 2003
My heart goes out to Ms Danticat, who must have lived much of the trauma attributed to Sophie in Breath, Eyes, Memory. It is a riveting account of two very different cultures and a young girl who is pulled in both directions. The author is a strong woman who deserves success.
I have since read "THe Farming of Bones" by the same author, and would highly recommend this.

poignant, beautiful in its simplicity, 18 Jan 2000
This is one of the most moving , and touching books I've ever read. It is so elegantly written: there is poetry in every other page. I lent this book to all my friends and they were equally moved. Though it tells the story a mother/daughter relationship set in the context of the Haitian culture, it is equally applicable to women all over the Third World.

"The Farming of Bones" is a chronological work of art., 29 Jun 2007
Danticat moves beyond the stream of consciousness of "Krick Krack" and takes us on a voyage to the Dominican Republic and opens our hearts to the drama of a terrifyingly real era of hatred personified. Moving away from the quiet life of a plantation type existence.

The novel lands us in a holocaust situation where the host country becomes murderous and ravenous. The exciting adventure builds from a quiet from a pastoral love story into a fight for survival of Annabelle, the main character, who will be caught in your mind for days afterwards. Sebastien and Annabelle make an adoring couple, even though they are so young. Danticat masterfully evokes the atmosphere of hatred and terror of the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans through the eyes of Amabelle, who at the same time have only a few memories of her childhood and is incredibly uncertain future.

I thought this book was an excellent representation of how life was treated back in 1937 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Not only was this a pure love story, but it was so factual and real. Danticat does an excellent job with her writing this novel, and deserves an applause. This book was touching and gripping at the same time. As a Haitian American I have always had an interest in understanding the history and problems which exist and have existed in Haiti, but in reading several texts I often find that the language of the genre is often uninteresting. For me Danticat changes that, she takes a historical event in Haitian history and structures it magnificently through the eyes of her young female character. I am glad that there is someone like Ms. Danticat in the literary world to help young Haitians like myself gain a better understanding of Haiti and its culture.



A deep read, 07 Apr 2005
I think Danticat is a gifted writer. This novel is a touching story of 1930s Haiti, where intrigues , passions, schisms and hardships fuelled instability which amongst other things also resulted to the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans under the Trujillo regime . Brilliantly told by Danticat , this sad epoch of Haitian history ends up making a captivating read.

Recommended along with Disciples of Fortune, Breath Eyes Memory, The usurper and Other Stories, Triple Agent Double Cross

Silent strength, 11 Feb 2001
Edwidge Danticat is a gift writer. She has this amazing ability to evoke this clarity without being brash or animated. Her silent assurance is her strength. This book is a must buy for anyone who reads to learn - just about historical facts or anything as tangible as that. But about the human spirit and its ability to survive and love.

Farming the Gift, 04 Feb 1999
My first introduction to Edwidge Danticat came in the form of a casual glance at her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, which had been featured as an Oprah Book Selection sometime last year. My university was adopting the text for its Freshman Composition series, and various professors on campus were reading and discussing the next. I didn't pay much attention to it all at the time; after all, I was submerged in my various papers and projects and didn't even have time to read something other than school work.

And then Edwidge Danticat came to my university last October. I was asked my my rhetoric professor to design a program for the event and as a thank-you, she presented me with a personalized copy of Danticat's latest novel. Ms. Danticat impressed me, however, with her readings, and I purchased her collection of short stories since the last selection literally grabbed me from the back of the room. It wasn't until last week, after the holidays and papers, that I finally picked up her third effort to read.

Set during the chaotic late 1930s on the Dominican side of Haiti, The Farming of Bones tells the story of Amabelle Désir, an orphaned houseworker and hopeful midwife who has just delivered twins to her childhood companion and mistress. Found at the age of eight at the edge of the brutal river which took her parents, Amabelle grows up beside the wealth daughter of the plantation owner. When she is eighteen, she falls in love with Sebastian, a sugar cane worker, who loves her as much; secretly, they meet in her room to share dinner, talk, and passions. Theirs is a pure, sweet love that everyone hopes to find in their lifetime, but it is also a love that is eventually shattered by Haitian slaughter.

Amabelle flees for the border, hoping to meet Sebastian on the other side. Instead, she is beaten and left for dead when, in an allusion to the Book of Judges, she does not properly pronounce pési, the Spanish word for parsley. The moment is further solidified when Amabelle knows she can pronounce the word and save her life, but out of sheer panic, terror, and perhaps even deliberateness, does not. The scene is further enhanced with a brutal moment in which parsley is shoved and stuffed into her mouth, as if the soldiers are preparing an animal for the dinner table, is emotionally devastating for the reader.

But Amabelle is rescued then, if not in mind and spirit, at least in body. She recovers slowly, living with the mother of the man who survived the crossing with her. But she cannot love him, even though they are both survivors and are drawn to each other by that very fact. Shattered and devastated by the sights and sounds of other survivors, Amabelle's life after the massacre is one marked by regret, fear, and wondering. Is Sebastian dead? What became of those left behind? Will she ever return? Her life stands still. She grows old. Years pass. And still she remembers.

I don't think I could give this novel enough justice here with this limited format. Danticat is an exceptionally gifted writer, with the ability to draw her readers into the text, story, and characters by painting simple, yet vivid portraits. I do believe that I had a distinct advantage having met Ms. Danticat in person and having heard her read from her books and stories, for whenever I picture Amabelle in my head, I see Danticat's face instead. Her lilting voice and quiet demeanor set the stage for Amabelle, the equally quiet and pensive houseworker.

I wish I could decide on a sample to include with this review, but the truth is that there isn't enough room here to do so. There are too many passages that moved me and caught my eye. The best I can do is highly recommend this book. I believe that Edwidge Danticat is poised to become the next Toni Morrison, and I hope my prediction comes true.

A Moving story, 04 Apr 2005
Breath, Eyes, Memory is one of the books written about the Caribbean that I really enjoyed. Like Edwidge Danticat's other novels and stories this story is well written in a lyrical evocative style. What I cherish about the story is the fact that I came to have a better understanding of Haiti, their culture which is close to that of Benin in Africa and their rich though mysterious belief. Much of the pains, fears, horrors and complications of Haitian history are unveiled in this amazing story which can make you cry, sigh, laugh, angry and happy in different turns. This true to life story is a recommended read.

Also recommended: DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES,TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Unbelievable!, 25 Feb 2003
I read this book in one day. It is a fascinating account of what so many in our society - those who move to the U.S from different places with different traditions - go through today. This push and pull relationship between homeland and home. This tug-of-war between what is American and what is not. And the traditions, whether good or bad. Do they stay, or should they go? Danticat does not answer these questions, for each person must answer it for themselves. Yet, she gives us a book we can relate to, we can fall in love with, and hopefully one day we will resolve what we need to resolve and know the answer to our foremothers' calls of freedom.

A thought provoking read, 14 Jan 2003
My heart goes out to Ms Danticat, who must have lived much of the trauma attributed to Sophie in Breath, Eyes, Memory. It is a riveting account of two very different cultures and a young girl who is pulled in both directions. The author is a strong woman who deserves success.
I have since read "THe Farming of Bones" by the same author, and would highly recommend this.

poignant, beautiful in its simplicity, 18 Jan 2000
This is one of the most moving , and touching books I've ever read. It is so elegantly written: there is poetry in every other page. I lent this book to all my friends and they were equally moved. Though it tells the story a mother/daughter relationship set in the context of the Haitian culture, it is equally applicable to women all over the Third World.

"The Farming of Bones" is a chronological work of art., 29 Jun 2007
Danticat moves beyond the stream of consciousness of "Krick Krack" and takes us on a voyage to the Dominican Republic and opens our hearts to the drama of a terrifyingly real era of hatred personified. Moving away from the quiet life of a plantation type existence.

The novel lands us in a holocaust situation where the host country becomes murderous and ravenous. The exciting adventure builds from a quiet from a pastoral love story into a fight for survival of Annabelle, the main character, who will be caught in your mind for days afterwards. Sebastien and Annabelle make an adoring couple, even though they are so young. Danticat masterfully evokes the atmosphere of hatred and terror of the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans through the eyes of Amabelle, who at the same time have only a few memories of her childhood and is incredibly uncertain future.

I thought this book was an excellent representation of how life was treated back in 1937 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Not only was this a pure love story, but it was so factual and real. Danticat does an excellent job with her writing this novel, and deserves an applause. This book was touching and gripping at the same time. As a Haitian American I have always had an interest in understanding the history and problems which exist and have existed in Haiti, but in reading several texts I often find that the language of the genre is often uninteresting. For me Danticat changes that, she takes a historical event in Haitian history and structures it magnificently through the eyes of her young female character. I am glad that there is someone like Ms. Danticat in the literary world to help young Haitians like myself gain a better understanding of Haiti and its culture.



A deep read, 07 Apr 2005
I think Danticat is a gifted writer. This novel is a touching story of 1930s Haiti, where intrigues , passions, schisms and hardships fuelled instability which amongst other things also resulted to the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans under the Trujillo regime . Brilliantly told by Danticat , this sad epoch of Haitian history ends up making a captivating read.

Recommended along with Disciples of Fortune, Breath Eyes Memory, The usurper and Other Stories, Triple Agent Double Cross

Silent strength, 11 Feb 2001
Edwidge Danticat is a gift writer. She has this amazing ability to evoke this clarity without being brash or animated. Her silent assurance is her strength. This book is a must buy for anyone who reads to learn - just about historical facts or anything as tangible as that. But about the human spirit and its ability to survive and love.

Farming the Gift, 04 Feb 1999
My first introduction to Edwidge Danticat came in the form of a casual glance at her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, which had been featured as an Oprah Book Selection sometime last year. My university was adopting the text for its Freshman Composition series, and various professors on campus were reading and discussing the next. I didn't pay much attention to it all at the time; after all, I was submerged in my various papers and projects and didn't even have time to read something other than school work.

And then Edwidge Danticat came to my university last October. I was asked my my rhetoric professor to design a program for the event and as a thank-you, she presented me with a personalized copy of Danticat's latest novel. Ms. Danticat impressed me, however, with her readings, and I purchased her collection of short stories since the last selection literally grabbed me from the back of the room. It wasn't until last week, after the holidays and papers, that I finally picked up her third effort to read.

Set during the chaotic late 1930s on the Dominican side of Haiti, The Farming of Bones tells the story of Amabelle Désir, an orphaned houseworker and hopeful midwife who has just delivered twins to her childhood companion and mistress. Found at the age of eight at the edge of the brutal river which took her parents, Amabelle grows up beside the wealth daughter of the plantation owner. When she is eighteen, she falls in love with Sebastian, a sugar cane worker, who loves her as much; secretly, they meet in her room to share dinner, talk, and passions. Theirs is a pure, sweet love that everyone hopes to find in their lifetime, but it is also a love that is eventually shattered by Haitian slaughter.

Amabelle flees for the border, hoping to meet Sebastian on the other side. Instead, she is beaten and left for dead when, in an allusion to the Book of Judges, she does not properly pronounce pési, the Spanish word for parsley. The moment is further solidified when Amabelle knows she can pronounce the word and save her life, but out of sheer panic, terror, and perhaps even deliberateness, does not. The scene is further enhanced with a brutal moment in which parsley is shoved and stuffed into her mouth, as if the soldiers are preparing an animal for the dinner table, is emotionally devastating for the reader.

But Amabelle is rescued then, if not in mind and spirit, at least in body. She recovers slowly, living with the mother of the man who survived the crossing with her. But she cannot love him, even though they are both survivors and are drawn to each other by that very fact. Shattered and devastated by the sights and sounds of other survivors, Amabelle's life after the massacre is one marked by regret, fear, and wondering. Is Sebastian dead? What became of those left behind? Will she ever return? Her life stands still. She grows old. Years pass. And still she remembers.

I don't think I could give this novel enough justice here with this limited format. Danticat is an exceptionally gifted writer, with the ability to draw her readers into the text, story, and characters by painting simple, yet vivid portraits. I do believe that I had a distinct advantage having met Ms. Danticat in person and having heard her read from her books and stories, for whenever I picture Amabelle in my head, I see Danticat's face instead. Her lilting voice and quiet demeanor set the stage for Amabelle, the equally quiet and pensive houseworker.

I wish I could decide on a sample to include with this review, but the truth is that there isn't enough room here to do so. There are too many passages that moved me and caught my eye. The best I can do is highly recommend this book. I believe that Edwidge Danticat is poised to become the next Toni Morrison, and I hope my prediction comes true.

A collection of cleverly interwoven short stories, 23 Aug 2006
Having enjoyed Ms Danticat's previous 2 books, I had to search for a while to find this one. It was worth the wait. While it differs from the others in that it is more a series of short stories than a novel, they are cleverly interwoven and beautifully written.

The term 'Dew Breaker' was the term used in Haiti during the period of dictator Francois Duvalier's regime, for the torturers who enforced his will upon the people. These Dew Breakers, also known as 'Macoutes', struck at first light as the dew was falling. Francois Duvalier's son, Jean-Claude, succeeded his father in 1971 and finally fled the country after a total of 29 years of Duvalier terror. The Macoutes were subsequently hunted down or escaped the country.

The book introduces a Dew Breaker who has made his home in New York, with his wife and talented daughter Ka (meaning good angel). A mild mannered man, he does nothing to draw attention to himself and lives a reclusive life, constantly in fear if being recognised. Even 30 years later he is still hiding from his past. Whilst he is ashamed to finally confess his true identity to his daughter, is he truly repentant for his actions? Would he have behaved differently if he were given his time again?

Meanwhile we meet a number of people whose lives were forever changed by the Macoute's work. These stories are profoundly moving, but also very cleverly connected, and the whole is a very well written view of both sides of the story.

Ms Danticat has improved with each of her books and I eagerly await her next. All her books are well worth reading.

Wonderful - shows the growth an important writer, 29 Jun 2005
This is my favorite Danticat book to date. I wasn't as much of a fan back in the days of Breath, Eyes, Memory. I thought in the case of that novel that her beautiful writing tried to disguise some leaps in the narrative. I thought she often left the story at just the most critical, difficult to write part and jumped forward, skipping over the hard stuff entirely. I thought, really, that she'd pulled the wool over the reading public's eyes by writing so beautifully we didn't notice the gaps. I'll have to go back and look at that one again to see if I still feel the same about it.

In any event, those flaws are not the case at all in this novel. Yes, there are connected stories that might have led to the same sort of problems. But Danticat has matured amazingly, which is really something considering the spotlight she's been under. She didn't HAVE to become a better writer cause she was already successful, but this proves that she set her sights high and reached them. The various stories inform each other while also standing distinct. She writes brutal material at times but with an understanding of the flawed humanity of all her characters - both the victim and the torturer. She asks questions about what sort of redemption is possible for past crimes. She deals with the hard stuff head on. She doesn't give easy answers, but that's the way it is with the best of writing. And this is some of America's best writing right now.

A terrific story, 24 Feb 2005
The Dew Breaker is a very educational book with unique contradictions in the characters in the story. This is a story about the haunting tale of a man who left Haiti for New York, and still could not leave behind his memory of victimizing. I enjoyed this book to the very end.
I recommend it along with DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE and DISGRACE

"Atonement...was possible and available for everyone.", 19 Aug 2004
Author Danticat introduces her story of Haitian immigrants and the lives they have escaped in Haiti with the story of Ka, a young sculptress whose parents think of her as a "good angel," her name also associated symbolically with the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ka is in Florida with her father to deliver a powerfully rendered sculpture to a Haitian TV actress. Ka's father, who served as the model for the sculpture, however, destroys it, confessing tearfully that he is not the man his daughter has always believed him to be, and admitting that the disfiguring scar on his face was not the result of torture in a Haitian prison. He was "the hunter," he says, and "not the prey," one of the "dew breakers," or torturers, who as part of the Tonton Macoutes, committed political assassinations and inflicted unimaginable tortures on orders of dictators Francois Duvalier and his son "Baby Doc" between 1957-86.

In a series of episodes which resemble short stories more than a novel in form, Danticat illuminates the lives of approximately a dozen Haitian immigrants as they remember this traumatic period "back home." As the "novel" alternates between past and present, it is told from disparate points of view--those of Ka's mother and father, a young man visiting Haiti after ten years to see his blinded aunt, a wedding seamstress in New York, a Haitian-American reporter investigating a possible "dew-breaker," a man remembering a Haitian friend's long-ago disappearance as he awaits his son's birth in New York, and a popular Haitian preacher whose arrest affects lives for many years.

The novel gains much of its power from the horrors of vividly described torture and the overwhelming fear engendered by the Tonton Macoute militia. By calling up such emotionally charged memories and presenting them in a series of episodes, the author can let the personal stories unfold without having to order events so that they lead to a grand climax. What distinguishes this "novel" from a short story collection, however, is the repeating motifs that appear throughout these seemingly separate episodes (a man's widow's peak, a woman's fear of cemeteries, for example), and by the end of the novel the connections among all the characters become obvious. A vivid documentation of many of the worst human rights abuses of the century, Danticat's novel is a moving testament to the Haitians' resilient spirit and a celebration of their survival. Mary Whipple

There Are Some Things that can Never be Forgiven, 29 Apr 2004
Ka Bienaimé, daughter of Haitians who have immigrated to New York,couldn't have known the secrets that would be revealed when she wasworking on the mahogany sculpture of her father, depicting him as a victimof Duvalier's terror. Dark secrets. When she shows it to him, he snaps,destroys it, claiming he's unworthy. Then he tells her about his past,about how he really got the rope-like scar on his face. He was a torturerof men back in Haiti in the 1960s, the scar, he tells her, was the resultof an attack by his last victim.
Her father had been a member of the dreaded Tontons Macoute, enforcers ofthe dictator François Duvalier. They were called dew breakers because theyusually came "'before dawn, as the dew was settling on the leaves" tosnatch their victims away from their homes in the name of Duvalier.Victims that were tortured, many killed, many never heard from again, manywho were innocent of any crime, many not even political.
From this horrific revelation the novel moves to chapter-long looks at thelives of the people Ka's father had tortured, lives he'd ruined, liveshe'd changed. The chapters move back and forth through time, letting ussee the dew breaker from the points of view of his family, friends and hisvictims.
Ms. Danticat has written a troublesome novel about a subject many wouldchoose to ignore and that, I suppose, is the problem. For too long in thisworld torture has been ignored, because good and decent people shudder atthe thought of it. And even though Ms. Danticat does a superb job makingthe Dew Breaker at times seem sympathetic, I couldn't find any sympathyfor him in my heart. Forgiveness for men like that, if there is any,should come from their maker, not from us in the hear and now, not fromme. That said, this is a wonderful book, just simply wonderful.
Sophie Cacique Gaul

A Moving story, 04 Apr 2005
Breath, Eyes, Memory is one of the books written about the Caribbean that I really enjoyed. Like Edwidge Danticat's other novels and stories this story is well written in a lyrical evocative style. What I cherish about the story is the fact that I came to have a better understanding of Haiti, their culture which is close to that of Benin in Africa and their rich though mysterious belief. Much of the pains, fears, horrors and complications of Haitian history are unveiled in this amazing story which can make you cry, sigh, laugh, angry and happy in different turns. This true to life story is a recommended read.

Also recommended: DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES,TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY

Unbelievable!, 25 Feb 2003
I read this book in one day. It is a fascinating account of what so many in our society - those who move to the U.S from different places with different traditions - go through today. This push and pull relationship between homeland and home. This tug-of-war between what is American and what is not. And the traditions, whether good or bad. Do they stay, or should they go? Danticat does not answer these questions, for each person must answer it for themselves. Yet, she gives us a book we can relate to, we can fall in love with, and hopefully one day we will resolve what we need to resolve and know the answer to our foremothers' calls of freedom.

A thought provoking read, 14 Jan 2003
My heart goes out to Ms Danticat, who must have lived much of the trauma attributed to Sophie in Breath, Eyes, Memory. It is a riveting account of two very different cultures and a young girl who is pulled in both directions. The author is a strong woman who deserves success.
I have since read "THe Farming of Bones" by the same author, and would highly recommend this.

poignant, beautiful in its simplicity, 18 Jan 2000
This is one of the most moving , and touching books I've ever read. It is so elegantly written: there is poetry in every other page. I lent this book to all my friends and they were equally moved. Though it tells the story a mother/daughter relationship set in the context of the Haitian culture, it is equally applicable to women all over the Third World.

"The Farming of Bones" is a chronological work of art., 29 Jun 2007
Danticat moves beyond the stream of consciousness of "Krick Krack" and takes us on a voyage to the Dominican Republic and opens our hearts to the drama of a terrifyingly real era of hatred personified. Moving away from the quiet life of a plantation type existence.

The novel lands us in a holocaust situation where the host country becomes murderous and ravenous. The exciting adventure builds from a quiet from a pastoral love story into a fight for survival of Annabelle, the main character, who will be caught in your mind for days afterwards. Sebastien and Annabelle make an adoring couple, even though they are so young. Danticat masterfully evokes the atmosphere of hatred and terror of the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans through the eyes of Amabelle, who at the same time have only a few memories of her childhood and is incredibly uncertain future.

I thought this book was an excellent representation of how life was treated back in 1937 in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. Not only was this a pure love story, but it was so factual and real. Danticat does an excellent job with her writing this novel, and deserves an applause. This book was touching and gripping at the same time. As a Haitian American I have always had an interest in understanding the history and problems which exist and have existed in Haiti, but in reading several texts I often find that the language of the genre is often uninteresting. For me Danticat changes that, she takes a historical event in Haitian history and structures it magnificently through the eyes of her young female character. I am glad that there is someone like Ms. Danticat in the literary world to help young Haitians like myself gain a better understanding of Haiti and its culture.



A deep read, 07 Apr 2005
I think Danticat is a gifted writer. This novel is a touching story of 1930s Haiti, where intrigues , passions, schisms and hardships fuelled instability which amongst other things also resulted to the massacre of Haitians by Dominicans under the Trujillo regime . Brilliantly told by Danticat , this sad epoch of Haitian history ends up making a captivating read.

Recommended along with Disciples of Fortune, Breath Eyes Memory, The usurper and Other Stories, Triple Agent Double Cross

Silent strength, 11 Feb 2001
Edwidge Danticat is a gift writer. She has this amazing ability to evoke this clarity without being brash or animated. Her silent assurance is her strength. This book is a must buy for anyone who reads to learn - just about historical facts or anything as tangible as that. But about the human spirit and its ability to survive and love.

Farming the Gift, 04 Feb 1999
My first introduction to Edwidge Danticat came in the form of a casual glance at her first novel, Breath, Eyes, Memory, which had been featured as an Oprah Book Selection sometime last year. My university was adopting the text for its Freshman Composition series, and various professors on campus were reading and discussing the next. I didn't pay much attention to it all at the time; after all, I was submerged in my various papers and projects and didn't even have time to read something other than school work.

And then Edwidge Danticat came to my university last October. I was asked my my rhetoric professor to design a program for the event and as a thank-you, she presented me with a personalized copy of Danticat's latest novel. Ms. Danticat impressed me, however, with her readings, and I purchased her collection of short stories since the last selection literally grabbed me from the back of the room. It wasn't until last week, after the holidays and papers, that I finally picked up her third effort to read.

Set during the chaotic late 1930s on the Dominican side of Haiti, The Farming of Bones tells the story of Amabelle Désir, an orphaned houseworker and hopeful midwife who has just delivered twins to her childhood companion and mistress. Found at the age of eight at the edge of the brutal river which took her parents, Amabelle grows up beside the wealth daughter of the plantation owner. When she is eighteen, she falls in love with Sebastian, a sugar cane worker, who loves her as much; secretly, they meet in her room to share dinner, talk, and passions. Theirs is a pure, sweet love that everyone hopes to find in their lifetime, but it is also a love that is eventually shattered by Haitian slaughter.

Amabelle flees for the border, hoping to meet Sebastian on the other side. Instead, she is beaten and left for dead when, in an allusion to the Book of Judges, she does not properly pronounce pési, the Spanish word for parsley. The moment is further solidified when Amabelle knows she can pronounce the word and save her life, but out of sheer panic, terror, and perhaps even deliberateness, does not. The scene is further enhanced with a brutal moment in which parsley is shoved and stuffed into her mouth, as if the soldiers are preparing an animal for the dinner table, is emotionally devastating for the reader.

But Amabelle is rescued then, if not in mind and spirit, at least in body. She recovers slowly, living with the mother of the man who survived the crossing with her. But she cannot love him, even though they are both survivors and are drawn to each other by that very fact. Shattered and devastated by the sights and sounds of other survivors, Amabelle's life after the massacre is one marked by regret, fear, and wondering. Is Sebastian dead? What became of those left behind? Will she ever return? Her life stands still. She grows old. Years pass. And still she remembers.

I don't think I could give this novel enough justice here with this limited format. Danticat is an exceptionally gifted writer, with the ability to draw her readers into the text, story, and characters by painting simple, yet vivid portraits. I do believe that I had a distinct advantage having met Ms. Danticat in person and having heard her read from her books and stories, for whenever I picture Amabelle in my head, I see Danticat's face instead. Her lilting voice and quiet demeanor set the stage for Amabelle, the equally quiet and pensive houseworker.

I wish I could decide on a sample to include with this review, but the truth is that there isn't enough room here to do so. There are too many passages that moved me and caught my eye. The best I can do is highly recommend this book. I believe that Edwidge Danticat is poised to become the next Toni Morrison, and I hope my prediction comes true.

A collection of cleverly interwoven short stories, 23 Aug 2006
Having enjoyed Ms Danticat's previous 2 books, I had to search for a while to find this one. It was worth the wait. While it differs from the others in that it is more a series of short stories than a novel, they are cleverly interwoven and beautifully written.

The term 'Dew Breaker' was the term used in Haiti during the period of dictator Francois Duvalier's regime, for the torturers who enforced his will upon the people. These Dew Breakers, also known as 'Macoutes', struck at first light as the dew was falling. Francois Duvalier's son, Jean-Claude, succeeded his father in 1971 and finally fled the country after a total of 29 years of Duvalier terror. The Macoutes were subsequently hunted down or escaped the country.

The book introduces a Dew Breaker who has made his home in New York, with his wife and talented daughter Ka (meaning good angel). A mild mannered man, he does nothing to draw attention to himself and lives a reclusive life, constantly in fear if being recognised. Even 30 years later he is still hiding from his past. Whilst he is ashamed to finally confess his true identity to his daughter, is he truly repentant for his actions? Would he have behaved differently if he were given his time again?

Meanwhile we meet a number of people whose lives were forever changed by the Macoute's work. These stories are profoundly moving, but also very cleverly connected, and the whole is a very well written view of both sides of the story.

Ms Danticat has improved with each of her books and I eagerly await her next. All her books are well worth reading.

Wonderful - shows the growth an important writer, 29 Jun 2005
This is my favorite Danticat book to date. I wasn't as much of a fan back in the days of Breath, Eyes, Memory. I thought in the case of that novel that her beautiful writing tried to disguise some leaps in the narrative. I thought she often left the story at just the most critical, difficult to write part and jumped forward, skipping over the hard stuff entirely. I thought, really, that she'd pulled the wool over the reading public's eyes by writing so beautifully we didn't notice the gaps. I'll have to go back and look at that one again to see if I still feel the same about it.

In any event, those flaws are not the case at all in this novel. Yes, there are connected stories that might have led to the same sort of problems. But Danticat has matured amazingly, which is really something considering the spotlight she's been under. She didn't HAVE to become a better writer cause she was already successful, but this proves that she set her sights high and reached them. The various stories inform each other while also standing distinct. She writes brutal material at times but with an understanding of the flawed humanity of all her characters - both the victim and the torturer. She asks questions about what sort of redemption is possible for past crimes. She deals with the hard stuff head on. She doesn't give easy answers, but that's the way it is with the best of writing. And this is some of America's best writing right now.

A terrific story, 24 Feb 2005
The Dew Breaker is a very educational book with unique contradictions in the characters in the story. This is a story about the haunting tale of a man who left Haiti for New York, and still could not leave behind his memory of victimizing. I enjoyed this book to the very end.
I recommend it along with DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE and DISGRACE

"Atonement...was possible and available for everyone.", 19 Aug 2004
Author Danticat introduces her story of Haitian immigrants and the lives they have escaped in Haiti with the story of Ka, a young sculptress whose parents think of her as a "good angel," her name also associated symbolically with the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ka is in Florida with her father to deliver a powerfully rendered sculpture to a Haitian TV actress. Ka's father, who served as the model for the sculpture, however, destroys it, confessing tearfully that he is not the man his daughter has always believed him to be, and admitting that the disfiguring scar on his face was not the result of torture in a Haitian prison. He was "the hunter," he says, and "not the prey," one of the "dew breakers," or torturers, who as part of the Tonton Macoutes, committed political assassinations and inflicted unimaginable tortures on orders of dictators Francois Duvalier and his son "Baby Doc" between 1957-86.

In a series of episodes which resemble short stories more than a novel in form, Danticat illuminates the lives of approximately a dozen Haitian immigrants as they remember this traumatic period "back home." As the "novel" alternates between past and present, it is told from disparate points of view--those of Ka's mother and father, a young man visiting Haiti after ten years to see his blinded aunt, a wedding seamstress in New York, a Haitian-American reporter investigating a possible "dew-breaker," a man remembering a Haitian friend's long-ago disappearance as he awaits his son's birth in New York, and a popular Haitian preacher whose arrest affects lives for many years.

The novel gains much of its power from the horrors of vividly described torture and the overwhelming fear engendered by the Tonton Macoute militia. By calling up such emotionally charged memories and presenting them in a series of episodes, the author can let the personal stories unfold without having to order events so that they lead to a grand climax. What distinguishes this "novel" from a short story collection, however, is the repeating motifs that appear throughout these seemingly separate episodes (a man's widow's peak, a woman's fear of cemeteries, for example), and by the end of the novel the connections among all the characters become obvious. A vivid documentation of many of the worst human rights abuses of the century, Danticat's novel is a moving testament to the Haitians' resilient spirit and a celebration of their survival. Mary Whipple

There Are Some Things that can Never be Forgiven, 29 Apr 2004
Ka Bienaimé, daughter of Haitians who have immigrated to New York,couldn't have known the secrets that would be revealed when she wasworking on the mahogany sculpture of her father, depicting him as a victimof Duvalier's terror. Dark secrets. When she shows it to him, he snaps,destroys it, claiming he's unworthy. Then he tells her about his past,about how he really got the rope-like scar on his face. He was a torturerof men back in Haiti in the 1960s, the scar, he tells her, was the resultof an attack by his last victim.
Her father had been a member of the dreaded Tontons Macoute, enforcers ofthe dictator François Duvalier. They were called dew breakers because theyusually came "'before dawn, as the dew was settling on the leaves" tosnatch their victims away from their homes in the name of Duvalier.Victims that were tortured, many killed, many never heard from again, manywho were innocent of any crime, many not even political.
From this horrific revelation the novel moves to chapter-long looks at thelives of the people Ka's father had tortured, lives he'd ruined, liveshe'd changed. The chapters move back and forth through time, letting ussee the dew breaker from the points of view of his family, friends and hisvictims.
Ms. Danticat has written a troublesome novel about a subject many wouldchoose to ignore and that, I suppose, is the problem. For too long in thisworld torture has been ignored, because good and decent people shudder atthe thought of it. And even though Ms. Danticat does a superb job makingthe Dew Breaker at times seem sympathetic, I couldn't find any sympathyfor him in my heart. Forgiveness for men like that, if there is any,should come from their maker, not from us in the hear and now, not fromme. That said, this is a wonderful book, just simply wonderful.
Sophie Cacique Gaul

My eyes have been opened., 15 May 2007
This book is one of the few that left me with a 'wow' feeling after I finished it. It is hard to describe just how amazing this book is, so I suggest that you read it to find out!

The racism is shocking at times, yet it invites us into the 'porch culture' that is so commonly associated with Black America. The protagonist is Jane, the product of rape by a white school teacher. Her mother runs away, leaving her in the care of her grandmother, who tries to shield her from the strong racism (Janie doesn't even realise she is black until she is 6!) and, wanting the best for her, arranges a marriage when Janie is just 16. Janie struggles but eventually takes her to a man worthy of her love. It is a beautiful tale, full of sadness, yet these downtrodden characters show admirable determination to survive and make the best of life. It is well worth reading, and easy to see how this book provided inspiration for authors such as Toni Morrison!

A definite classic and a must have..., 11 Apr 2006
I hadn't even heard of Zora Neal Hurston until a few weeks ago, till I was given the book as a gift, and then watched the movie (starring Halle Berry and produced by Oprah Winfrey). This is a book for every woman who has ever felt there has to be more. Much more. The story is about Janie, a free sprit if ever there was one, her spirit almost becomes a central character and carries her forth and helps her break free from the shackles of unworthy men. Essentially, a love story, but Janie's free spirit and love of life is the real story. Alice Walker describes this as "There is no book more important to me than this one" I agree, I feel it, I love it, I recommend it, read it, watch it, whatever, get it!

An outstanding story, 22 Feb 2006
Their Eyes Were Watching God was one of the best books that I've ever read. The book answered a lot of questions about life. We are faced with several conflicts in humanity with choices having to be made between Love, Good, Evil, Hope or reality, and Truth. It is a story about Janie, a young black woman, who tries to find herself through her grandmother's footsteps and eventually confronts herself to become the person she knows is of her own good. Taken along the memory lane in a small southern black town, "Their Eyes were Watching God" is a beautiful portrayal of the conflicts confronting Janie, not only about herself but also about how her society perceives her. Through an amazing creativity in characters, plot development, excellent narrative, lessons and dialogues and an easy ride through time, Zora successful made the reader to understand and appreciate black culture. This absolutely credible story is a highly recommended book to anyone with a taste for classic stories.Also recommended: USURPER AND OTHER STORIES,TRIPLE AGENT DOUBLE CROSS, THE GREAT GATSBY, UNCLE TOM'S CABIN

A GREAT CLASSIC,, 29 Mar 2005
"Where's dat blue satin dress she left here in? Where all dat money her husband took and died and left here? What dat ole forty year ole `oman doing wid her hair swingin' down her back lak some young gal?"

I know nothing of Zora Neale Hurston except that she wrote a great classic in Their Eyes Were Watching God sometime in the nineteen thirties.
The books makes its focal point around Janie Crawford, the envy of all other black sisters because of her light skin and her below the waist long hair. A strong and independent Afro-American woman, Janie knows what she wants out of life and leaves her town of Eatonville searching for it; finding herself at the altar on three occasions.
Forced more or less into the first marriage with Logan which did not last longer than a snowball in hell, Janie does her best to be a good wife, but at this stage she is still young and does not understand what is required of her in this unity which is on the verge of breaking down. As this happens, she quickly hooks up with the sweet talking Joe Starks, a man whom she looks up to and who will become the mayor of the small county where they live. Life with Joe Starks is different to the marriage with Logan as all the folks look up to Starks who is responsible, thoroughly arrogant, stubborn and forces his opinions and standards on Janie, like it or not.
But a reprieve comes in Janie Crawford's life after the death of the Mayor, which finds her grown into maturity and with a better comprehension of the world around her, and a better understanding of her desires and how she may acquire this love which has eluded her all these years. From her past experiences Janie reaches out for marriage the third time over with a man twelve years her junior, and this is when she will taste love at its sweetest for the first time, and be acquainted with pain, racial prejudice and great loss. For lovers of classical books, this book comes highly recommended!!!
SUGAR-CANE 28/03/05

Poetry In Motion, 10 Jun 2004
No this isn't a poetry book but it is lyrical in its execution. I believed I was Pheoby listening to Janey. I was transported to the porch. I loved the way Janie's husband's seemed to appear as if by magic. I loved the lying tales reminscent of stories my family told. this is not a novel it is an oral tale written down.