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Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.
Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream—a gift from the Mapou—tells Lucille to go to her village's section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family's at risk.
Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society's elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer's son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again—this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille's new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about—and any chance of seeing her best friend again—as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.
"Pinede's beautifully written debut sharply observes class divisions and encourages readers to ask critical questions about dignity... .The well-drawn characters, strong dialogue, and surprising twists add depth. A rich, lyrical story that shows the high cost young women pay for daring to dream of a better life." —Kirkus Reviews
"While the ending of this lengthy, densely packed tale feels abrupt, culturally rich descriptions and examinations of occupation and class division, as well as the perceived differences between spiritual and material wealth, make this a thought-provoking read." —Publishers Weekly
"Extremely well written." —Booklist
"Written in stunning verse, When the Mapou Sings—with its original premise, vivid setting, and compelling characters—will carve a permanent place in your heart." —Cordelia Jensen, author of Skyscraping
"Set against the backdrop of Haiti in the 1930s, When the Mapou Sings transports readers to the heart and mind of sixteen-year-old Lucille, forced to work in exile, away from her family, after standing up to oppressive local authorities. On a quest to reunite with her best friend, Lucille is derailed by her circumstances again and again but refuses to give up. Through incredibly rich historical details, Lucille's story springs to life in gorgeous poetry that sings. Truly a book to savor." —Kip Wilson, author of White Rose and The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin
"With a tenderness born of deep understanding, Nadine Pinede takes her characters—and her readers—on a journey requiring great courage and wisdom. She offers both through the lively voice of Lucille, with the comforting accompaniment of the mapou tree." —Helen Frost, author of Hidden and Diamond Willow
This information about When the Mapou Sings was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Nadine Pinede is the daughter of Haitian exiles from the Duvalier dictatorship. She created her own interdisciplinary major at Harvard and then continued on to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. She also has an MFA in fiction and poetry and holds a PhD from Indiana University.
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