After the Dance: A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti [Paperback]

Edwidge Danticat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2004

In After the Dance, one of Haiti's most renowned daughters returns to her homeland, taking readers on a stunning, exquisitely rendered journey beyond the hedonistic surface of Carnival and into its deep heart. Edwidge Danticat had long been scared off from Carnival by a loved one, who spun tales of people dislocating hips from gyrating with too much abandon, losing their voices from singing too loudly, going deaf from the clamor of immense speakers, and being punched, stabbed, pummeled, or fondled by other lustful revelers. Now an adult, she resolves to return and exorcise her Carnival demons. She spends the week before Carnival in the area around Jacmel, exploring the rolling hills and lush forests and meeting the people who live and die in them. During her journeys she traces the heroic and tragic history of the island, from French colonists and Haitian revolutionaries to American invaders and home-grown dictators. Danticat also introduces us to many of the performers, artists, and organizers who re-create the myths and legends that bring the Carnival festivities to life. When Carnival arrives, we watch as she goes from observer to participant and finally loses herself in the ove

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Edwidge Danticat gives a riveting tour of her homeland [Haiti] . . . Her lyrical narrative reveals a deeper layer of the colorful celebration--and of her own spirit.''

About the Author

Edwidge Danticat is the author of Breath, Eyes, Memory; Krik? Krak!; The Farming of Bones; and Behind the Mountains, a young adult novel. She is also the editor of The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States and The Beacon Best of 2000: Great Writing by Women and Men of All Colors and Cultures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 158 pages
• Publisher: Vintage Books USA (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0099464659
• ISBN-13: 978-0099464655
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #28 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Haiti
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Writing > Travel
  • #72 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Travel > Reference & Tips > Essays & Travelogues