Review: The Farming of Bones

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, massacres are not uncommon in human history. And though all are horrific, some -- like the 1937 massacre of Haitians that took place in the Dominican Republic -- are less widely known. Danticat's fictional account of this event is told through the voice of Amabelle, her main character.

Amabelle is the orphaned daughter of parents who died during their crossing of a river that separates Haiti and Dominican Republic. She is taken in by an upper-class family to whom she becomes a domestic servant. Amabelle's love interest is Sebastian, a sugarcane worker who has also immigrated from Haiti. Both displaced due to desperate circumstances, Amabelle and Sebastian share a deep connection.

My favorite part of this book is the author's writing of her main character Amabelle. The pain of her losses is palpable. As a reader I connected with Amabelle's anguish, despondence, and dread as the events in the novel unfolded. Though she is a survivor, she is also victim. The authors is succesfull in illuminating the interior lives of people in society who are often obscure. I give this book 4 stars.

View all my reviews