Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife in Haiti [Paperback]

Kathie Klarreich (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 23, 2005

Kathie Klarreich, a white Jewish girl from the West Coast, arrived in Haiti as a naïve twenty-something in the late 1980s. There she worked for a fair trade organization. Weeks became months, and months became years, as Klarreich, despite the spiraling political violence, became enthralled by the island, its lifestyle and traditions, to the extent that she started to grow dreads, attend Voodoo masses and started to file reports for the Christian Science Monitor and its attendant radio station. Klarreich saw civil violence, mass slaughter, coups, and U.S. intervention all up-close, and on a daily basis as a reporter. Often risking life and limb, accused of being a CIA agent by her enemies, she lost a man she loved due to an assassin's bullet—but she established credentials, contacts and developed an unsparing eye that led major news organizations such as The New York Times, ABC, CNN, Fresh Air and Time magazine to regard her as nonpareil throughout the turbulent decade. This compelling memoir interweaves shattering political events with an intensely personal narrative about the Haitian musician Klarreich eventually marries (and has a child with), who turns out to be as enthralling and complicated as the political events she covered.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kathie Klarreich lives in Florida. As a reporter based in Haiti she reported for The Christian Science Monitor, NPR Fresh Air, All Things Considered, US News and World Report, Time Magazine, New York Times, Miami Herald, and the New York Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books (August 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560257806
• ISBN-13: 978-1560257806
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,040,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So beautiful, so engrossing, and I learned so much about my people ..., October 28, 2005

By 

C. Jeanfrancois "Lady Cat" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife in Haiti (Paperback)

I work at the publishing company that published Madame Dread. I myself am Haitian (although very Americanized) and was naturally interested in reading it. I have to say that I absolutely fell in love with it! First of all, the cover of the book, I feel, accurately represents everything that is both beautiful and unique about Haiti. Secondly, I loved every word of it and it was so very hard for me to put down. Seeing my people and my culture through the eyes of someone new to it was both refreshing and educational. Not only did I (finally) learn some of its history, I also learned a lot of other things.

Things that I associated with only my family seem to be prominent among the people of Haiti, like calling a woman Madame with the name of her husband. And I've always noticed that Haitians like to assume things about other people rather than ask them directly (Klarreich mentioned this somewhere in the first half of the book). But of course, there was so much more to learn from it.

I thanked Klarreich for writing such beautiful words about a country and a people I never took the time to really know BECAUSE it was all I knew (does that make sense?).

I enjoyed the book so much that I had to express what it means to me. I've been to Haiti a few times. The last time I was there was about ten years ago and I so enjoyed myself while there. Madame Dread has made me long for that experience again.

Trust me: you will be so engrossed in the author's life in Haiti as I was.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, educational and insightful, October 23, 2005

By 

Robert C. Maland "Bob Maland" (Miami, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife in Haiti (Paperback)

I have the benefit of the wonderful prior reviews of this book, which I cannot improve upon. So, I will be brief. Those that gave this book a 5 star review were right on the money. Madame Dread is engrossing, educational and insightful. Thank you Kathie Klarreich for helping me make sense of Haiti. I would recommend this book highly. Bob Maland, Miami

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Adventurous, Genuine, Moving..., September 29, 2005

By 

Tiffany Zientz (Miami Beach, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madame Dread: A Tale of Love, Vodou and Civil Strife in Haiti (Paperback)

Kathie Klarreich's memoir of her life in Haiti is a vivid and authentic story that left me with, for the first time, a true understanding of why modern Haiti is the way it is. Her book provides a framework in which to absorb the culture, the people, the vodou, the violence... all of it... just like she did. So much of her writing resonated viscerally with me too. When she was scared, I was scared. When she was in awe, I was too. The writing is THAT GOOD! Madame Dread also provided me with a new awareness about Haiti that makes me want to read everything I see about it (because now I feel like I actually know the players and their motivations). I was so happy to see that Kathie also has a website - www.madamedread.com - where she posts links to some of her recent articles about Haiti. I have always wanted to have a real adventure in a foreign land... to take a risk... do something that no one I know would imagine I would ever do... But I never had the courage. Reading Kathie's book made me feel like I was able to experience that kind of incredible adventure. Read it!