Emmelie Prophète

Cécé, malgré elle, devient enregistreuse de son époque. Armée de son seul téléphone, elle filme les aller-venues dans sa Cité, criblée par la violence des gangs et affaiblie par la pauvreté. Elle est une sorte de journaliste ce qui lui permet de gagner en influence, en argent et en protection ô combien fragiles. Cette histoire est à la fois froide comme la distance que Cécé veut imposer entre elle et son entourage et sensible comme l'amour de Cécé pour les siens, même si elle ne l'admettrait jamais.
C'est un court roman magistral sur la précarité, la fierté, le désespoir et la survie des Haïtien-nes qui vivent dans les pires conditions.… (más)

Blue is a beautiful novel; but it's one of those books the requires a little work from readers. Our narrator is sitting in Miami airport, drinking coffee and waiting for a flight home to Haiti after having attended an aunt's funeral. The novel is comprised of her inner ramblings: family stories, reflections on the choices of her aunts, reflections on her own choices. Since her thoughts move back and forth in time and she is thinking about people she knows well, readers must assemble the chronology and work out the relationships among individuals for themselves. While readers have to work a bit, the reading experience itself is lovely. The language is poetic in a way that enhances meaning, rather than obscuring it. This is a book for readers to pick up when they're feeling a bit ruminative and are open to entering another's inner world. The payoff is excellent.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are mown.… (más)