Masters of the Dew [Paperback]

Jacques Roumain (Author), Langston Hughes (Translator), Mercer Cook (Translator), J. Michael Dash (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1978 | ISBN-10: 0435987453 | ISBN-13: 978-0435987459

The genre of the peasant novel in Haiti reaches back to the nineteenth century and this is one of the outstanding examples. Manuel returns to his native village after working on a sugar plantation in Cuba only to discover that it is stricken by a drought and divided by a family feud. He attacks the resignation endemic among his people by preaching the kind of political awareness and solidarity he has learned in Cuba. He goes on to illustrate his ideas in a tangible way by finding water and bringing it to the fields through the collective labor of the villagers. In this political fable, Roumain is careful to create an authentic environment and credible characters. Readers will be emotionally moved as well as ideologically persuaded.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

About the Author

Jacques Roumain, the son of a wealthy Haitian family, was born in Port-au-Prince in 1907. After being educated in Europe he identified with the resistance movement against the American occupation. He started Le Revue Indigene and published various books including La Montagne Ensorcelee (1931). He founded the Haitian Communist Party in 1934, was arrested and, after three years in prison, travelled in Europe and the United States until his return in 1941 when he established the Bureau d'Ethnologie in an effort to legitimise the study of Haiti's peasantry. He was sent in 1943 to the Haitian Embassy in Mexico. It was there that he completed this book Gouverneurs de la Rosee a few months before his sudden death in 1944.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (January 1, 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0435987453
• ISBN-13: 978-0435987459
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #202,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving story of love and community...., November 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Masters of the Dew (Paperback)

This is a beautiful story centering around the return of Manuel, a "prodigal son," to his once-thriving home community--a community that is now in the midst of drought and hard times for all. As a result, the community has lost its sense of togetherness and a long-standing family feud mars any chance for reconciliation and a return of the coumbite.

Upon Manuel's return to Haiti from Cuba, he begins a quest for water which he hopes will ultimately bring about an end to the hard times and feuding. In doing so, he also intends to reunite the community. Along the way, he falls in love and also makes an enemy. I'd hate to give anything more away so you'll have to read the rest yourself....

This book is so well written, the language so beautiful, that you can see (and smell) the sights, people, animals, and terrain of the village community. It is a literary picture show/journey not to be missed.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, Poetic, Masterpiece of Haitian Literature, June 6, 2007

By 

Danusha Goska (Bloomington, IN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Masters of the Dew (Paperback)

"Masters of the Dew" is a beautifully written, poetic book about a little known country, Haiti. Had author Jacques Roumain lived longer, I'm sure he would have written more books and achieved greater fame.

"Masters"' plot is simple: Manuel, a Haitian peasant, attempts to unite villagers into a "coumbite" that will end a famine.

No, it's not the most riveting plot in the world, but what makes "Masters" worthwhile is its poetic writing, its vivid images, and its insight into the Caribbean nation of Haiti.

Haiti's successful slave uprising is a cause of pride; today, it's impoverishment and environmental degradation are great causes of concern. Roumain, a communist, was proud of his nation, and concerned for her future. In this book, he protests against the imperialism that injured Haiti.

As a communist, Roumain recommended a rejection of all religion, including Catholicism and Voodoo. Because he was oppossed to Voodoo, Roumain made sure to depict it accurately -- by way of saying, "This is what we need to get rid of" -- so "Masters" offers insights into Voodoo.

Like many male would-be liberators who aren't fully aware of their own inner oppressor, Roumain, at least as this book shows, was not fully invested in the liberation of fifty percent of humanity -- humanity's female half. Women exist to serve men. His female lead, Annaise, delivers one of literature's most submissive speeches, culminating with, "I will be the servant of your desire." (116)

Too, his communist, post-Christian world is dependent on Christianity; Manuel is overburdened with symbols communicating that he, the communist leader, is the new Christ, who will replace the old one.

In any case, Roumain's deep love of his homeland, his commitment to Haiti, and his truly beautiful, poetic language are delightful, and make this book well worth reading.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A tragic tale, March 7, 2006

By 

A. G Primack "Master of Zen" (Hamilton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Masters of the Dew (Paperback)

The translation is wonderful, maintaining a consistent tone as the book progresses.

This is a truly tragic tail of the difficulty of being poor and living in traditional communities. It could be applied anywhere. The prodigal son returns, having found that the promised land really is the home that we grow up in. Only it is not the same as it was. The people who stayed behind have undermined the world that has provided for them in the search for life, and now there is no water with which to keep up their fields and their souls. Manuel obtains water, but at the cost of his life, and by taking it from yet another forest.

This book was written in the 1940's. I have been to Haiti recently, and it is as if the small community described is every community. The devastation of the hillsides is everywhere. The trees are all gone. If you want to understand the current environmental and social situation in Haiti this book is a big step forward.

Read it. Buy it for your friends.