Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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

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!

This is a book that fulfils several roles. While not a textbook or primer, it serves as a great introduction to the western hemisphere’s most perplexing and most African country, and manages to avoid all the clichés. It is packed with fascinating detail, color and insights for those like me who have been closely following the tortuous and tragic path Haiti has taken since the fall of the Duvalier dictatorship in 1986. Most of all, it is an exciting tale about a young and averagely naive American woman who extraordinarily chooses to set herself down in this raw, half-formed nation at the one of the most turbulent moments in its 200-year history, and then sticks it out, has some amazing adventures, starts to connect in all sorts of ways, is gradually transformed and finds a constructive role to play. Her Vodou experiences in particular are not to be missed. [Full disclosure: I know Klarreich quite well and make a few walk-on appearances in the book.]

I read this book hoping to better understand the constant strife in Haiti. I didn't get the understanding I was looking for. The litany of changing leaders is given, but no real examination of why each one fails is provided. For example, Aristide wins the election and then does not follow up by doing anything to improve conditions. He eventually is driven from power, but no details about his lack of action are provided in this book. A good read, but not what I was hoping for.

i LOVED it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't put the book down!!!!I could visualize each word she wrote!! I have a whole new perspective on Haiti!! Not only did I learn so much about the life, culture, and politics in this country, but about a women's personal journey in a place so foreign to her. Leaving the comforts and safety of the US behind to learn about and try to make a difference in Haiti speaks volumes about this woman!!! And then to face the struggle of what is best for her son, even if her personal choice was not to leave Haiti.This is a great read...i hope to see more from this author!!!

The first thing about this book that is important to know, is that it is of the sort that is impossible to be put down, once opened. It captures the reader. More importantly, for those who don't know about Haiti in the past or present, it captures a period that is essential to understand. The book conveys the barbarity of a time before Jean Bertrand Aristide came to power. After coming to power, he was soon ousted. The state sanctioned horror of that time comes alive through the author's travails. It also serves in giving us an understanding of the character of the man that became the center piece of history in the last fifteen years in her personal interaction with the former president in ways no author has. Neither avidly for or against we gain a portrait of the man that is true to the author's experience, and true to the man giving us insights into his wild popularity, as well as his fallability.

I just finished this book. I couldn't put it down. This story transported me back to Haiti. Ever page brought me closer to the country that I struggle to understand, now that I've been away for so long. It is a poignant description of Haiti through the eyes of an average American woman that I hope will help bridge the gap of understanding for those who haven't experienced the beautiful Ayiti Ti Thomas. Thank you for reminding me that there is hope, despite the short comings of political figures. Madame Dread is a must read for all women that struggle to create their own path in life, navigating the difficult waters of career, motherhood, and relationships.

I could not put this book down! From the very first page Kathie Klarreich grabbed me and made me want to see what Haiti was all about.

This intimate account of the author's personal and professional growth during the horrible political times in Haiti during the 1990's made me realize how much I did not know about Haiti. Having lived in Miami and experienced the influx of Haitians who were fleeing the oppression of that country's political struggles, I knew from them that it was a horrible place to live. Klarreich, someone with a similar background and upbringing as myself, telling of her life experiences taught me more about the wonderful cultural parts of the Haitian people. Much to her Jewish mother's dismay, Klarreich allowed herself to be open to experience the culture and spiritual beliefs that were vastly different from her upbringing. This was incredibly enlightening to me, one with a similar family background. I realized that even though I grew up in the ever increasing multi-ethnic Miami and have Haitian friends and own Haitian art and eat Haitian food, I did not know what I did not know. Through Klarreich's book, I was introduced to the people who are still struggling to live in Haiti on a daily basis, which is very different from the people who live in Miami or the politicians we see on the nightly news.

While learning about Haiti, it was also wonderful to watch Klarreich develop in her new profession as a journalist. Her feet were to the fire in "OJT" like few ever experience...and while learning her new profession she also fell in love and became a mother. Amazing how much this woman handles at once, in this thrilling, gripping story.

This book is a must read. The writing style is wonderfully engaging and so vivid I feel as though I have been to Haiti, lived among the people, fallen in love, had a baby, learned a new culture and become a journalist!

I look forward to Klarreich's future books.

Kathy shares her story of living in a culturally rich, but economically destitute culture. Her willingness to pay attention and hear their stories makes hearing her story provocative and interesting. As a North American female, she struggled with all the things that I would stumble over as well. Reading her account is almost like living through it myself. I enjoyed this book and recommend it. Most of us will never get to Haiti, but this is the next best thing!