The Farming of Bones (Paperback)

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

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.