Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States [Paperback]

Edwidge Danticat (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

In four sections—Childhood, Migration, First Generation, and Return—the contributors to this anthology write powerfully, often hauntingly, of their lives in Haiti and the United States. Jean-Robert Cadet's description of his Haitian childhood as a restavec—a child slave—in Port-au-Prince contrasts with Dany Laferriere's account of a ten-year-old boy and his beloved grandmother in Petit-Gove. We read of Marie Helene Laforest's realization that while she was white in Haiti, in the United States she is black. Patricia Benoit tells us of a Haitian woman refugee in a detention center who has a simple need for a red dress—dignity. The reaction of a man who has married the woman he loves is the theme of Gary Pierre-Pierre's "The White Wife"; the feeling of alienation is explored in "Made Outside" by Francie Latour. The frustration of trying to help those who have remained in Haiti and of the do-gooders who do more for themselves than the Haitians is described in Babette Wainwright's "Do Something for Your Soul, Go to Haiti." The variations and permutations of the divided self of the Haitian emigrant are poignantly conveyed in this unique anthology.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The experience of Haitian ?migr?s in what novelist Danticat (Krik? Krak!; etc.) calls the "tenth" geographical "department" of HaitiA"the floating homeland, the ideological one, which joined all Haitians living in the dyaspora"Ais the theme of this collection of 33 spare and evocative essays and poems. Most of these writers fled political instability as children and describe the dual reality of alienation from yetbelonging to two worlds, forging an identity separate from that of their parents in the new country, while at the same time continuing to wait for stability in the old country. Nik?l Payen tells of her experience as a U.S. Justice Department-sponsored interpreter who uses her knowledge of Krey?l ("the language whose purpose in life up until now had been to pain and confuse me") as "an asset" to translate for refugees waiting in horrific conditions at Guantanamo Naval Base following the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. When she witnesses the return of some of these HaitiansAdenied entrance to the U.S.Ashe likens their journey to the African Middle Passage. In another, Marie-H?l?ne Laforest, whose lighter skin color and family's wealth made her "white" in Haiti, realizes that she is simply black in America and later forges a third identity in Italy. Francie Latour, a journalist, convinces her American newspaper to send her to Haiti with a noble aim, but ends up "hitting a cultural wall" and being viewed as a "traitor" by her native people. This rich collection of writings will appeal to the growing number of Haitian-Americans and others interested in the question of the ?migr?'s sense of identity. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Diaspora kindles painful and conflicting emotions, and those living in exile from Haiti carry burdens both archetypal and unique to the legacy of their homeland, the first black republic in the Western Hemisphere. Danticat, the gifted Haitian American author of The Farming of Bones (1998), has assembled a potent and piercing collection of essays and poems that articulate the frustrations and sorrows of Haitians who are now outsiders both in Haiti and in their places of refuge. Her eloquent contributors express anger over the negative images conjured by what Joel Dreyfuss calls "the Phrase," the automatic tag line "the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere," and voice pride in Haiti's spirituality and art. Not that there isn't much to lament, as evident in searing essays by Jean-Robert Cadet, Barbara Sanon, and Marie Ketsia Theodore-Pharel. Haiti is a profoundly complex and alluring place, a neighbor, as Francie Latour observes, "whose history and future are so intertwined" with the U.S. that it must be better understood, and Danticat's revelatory anthology is a giant step in that direction. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Soho Press (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569472181
• ISBN-13: 978-1569472187
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Proud Collection, September 4, 2001

By 

"cathymarie" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States (Paperback)

I was excited when I heard that this book was coming out and did not miss the chance to buy it at publication. To say I was inspired when reading the book would have to be an understatement. I have always been proud to be Haitian but reading through the book heightened my pride incredibly. It is a fantastic collection of talented and gifted Haitian writers who speak to you at so many levels of what it feels like to be a Haitian either born and raised in Haiti or born and raised here in the states. I identified with many of them and marvelled at how humorous and deep our experiences range. The stories are funny, touching, educational and inspiring. I'm glad that there are so many Haitian people out there who are proud of where they come from and are helping the rest of us shout with pride as well. Thank you, Edwidge. You are an inspiration and a gifted person and I thank you for bringing this collection out into the public.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reconnecting to my heritage, June 6, 2001

By 

henriette c peterson (Springfield, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States (Paperback)

Ever since i Discovered the work of Edwidge Danticat years ago,i've been reading anything i encounter, authored by her. thus, my encounter with "The Butterfly's Way." i was so excited to see her name, i initially missed the fact that this is a collection of short stories by various authors. Oh, but what a pleasant surprise. i identified with nearly all of the stories, and was so pleased to discover so many gifted authors of Haitian descent.At times sad,others funny, the butterfly's way resonates truth,and understanding. i highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Butterfly's Way, November 6, 2002

By 

Frankmajordad1 (CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States (Paperback)

I ordered this book based on name recognition, the editor.

This book should be mandatory reading for all students of social studies.

Well witten, candid short stories.

Thank you to the contributors for their thoughts and experiences.

Thank you to the editor, for exposing and immortalize the words and thought of a nation.

Please order this book, find out for yourself. Trust me, once you start reading, you will not stop.