Customer Reviews

Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Taste of Salt, written by Frances Temple, is a provocative, exciting tale of the life of a young Haitian man, Djo, and the struggle against a dictatorship that hired Macoutes, thugs, to keep itself in power. Djo grew up on the streets with his brother before Father Aristide, known to them as Titid, adopted them. Djo was injured by Macoutes who firebombed him. Now he lies in a hospital bed telling his story to a student of a nun school named Jeremie. She listens.
There are several reasons to read this book, but the two greatest are its complex setting and the intricate writing style. The setting is elaborate as the book takes place in 1991in the city of Port-Au-Prince, when people were trying to attain a democracy and end the dictatorship of Jean-Claude Duvalier who named himself president for life and hired Macoutes. The writing style is unique as it has many flashbacks and the story is half from Djo's view and half from Jeremie's view. The flashbacks are interesting as they tell how the characters came to their current state and telling what they did until then. Also the different characters views have are written slightly different with slightly different writing styles that reflect the different characters speech styles.
This book is quite good but some may find fault with the fact that it uses some Creole words that can be quite confusing and force you to look back to the glossary disrupting. Though at first it may appear a negative fact, by the end it becomes interesting and you feel you have learned a little of their culture. However, even if one finds the Creole to be disrupting they will still enjoy the overall quality of this book.

And, Temple tells it wonderfully! She writes english with the Creole (Kreyol) feel of putting words together, and the research was dead on. I have stood outside of the burned out St. John Bosco, I have walked and worked in Cité Soleil. This book made me cry, and oh so "homesick" for a country that I only met 4 years ago!

I recently read this book in order to find fresh literature to present in the classroom. I can't wait to read this with my 7th-grade English students. Because of its structure, Taste of Salt lends itself to many creative teaching strategies. The values and themes are very relevant to our students today. Read it and you will see!

I'm reading this book because it is on The Battle of the Books list in Scottsdale AZ. Students read books and answer questions in a "Jeopardy" type contest, and I always read along with my grandchildren. I am very happy that this book is on the list for 7-8 graders. A Taste of Salt refers to the key to releasing zombies, and in this book reading is the taste of salt for the lost boys of Port-au-Prince, as they are rescued by Father Aristede. Djo, a leader of the boys, lays dying in the hospital as his story is recorded by Jeremie, a convent-raised young woman sent by Aristede. Djo was kidnapped by government troops to work in the sugar cane fields of the Dominican Republic (I'll always think of Djo and the cane cutters when I buy sugar) and his years there are terrible. I looked on Human Rights Watch website and found that there are 500,000 Haitians still working in the cane fields in deplorable conditions. "Father" Titid is now married, president of Haiti, and perpetuating the same dreadful oppression upon the people which he formerly preached against. A revolution gone wrong, as they often do, but an important and touching story of the strength of young people.

Taste of Salt, by Frances Temple is the best book I have read yet. This book teaches you how life is special. The book has emotion, love, happiness, loneliness, and a lot more real feelings people have. The best part is the writer is very graphic in her writing, you almost feel like you were there. The whole book is interesting, you never get tired of reading it. I think Taste of Salt can touch many people in different ways.

While on a business trip I read this book aloud to my husband as he drove. We took the book into the hotel with us and I read aloud until we finished the book. It is the telling of a very cruel and long chapter in the history of Haiti through the strong voices of Djo and Jeremie. It is a story of an overwhelming struggle against unbelieveably evil odds; of youth and raw courage; of love for family and friends, and of the force these weld that eventually wrenches the government from it's vicious grip on its citizens. It definitely earned a five star rating from us.

What would you do if you were barely alive because of a political firebombing, and the only thing you could do is talk? For Djo, a 14-year-old Haitian boy, the only thing he can do is lie in bed and tell his life story to a tape recorder. One day a beautiful girl named Jeremie, a Catholic schoolgirl, walks in. Neither of them knows how much one other will change their lives.
This work of historical fiction shows the struggle between society and the government in Haiti. When the government doesn't give the people what they say they will give, some people rebel. Taste of Salt is a great book filled with danger, sadness and friendship.
Even though I had to read this book for school, I still had a hard time putting it down. I love the fast-paced and descriptive writing of Frances Temple. It really seemed as if she were there telling the story through the character's eyes. I strongly recommend Taste of Salt by Frances Temple. Adults, kids and everyone between will enjoy this book; it really shows how much one person can affect another's life.

The book was not exactly what I expected. It was an okay read and certainly eye-opening regarding the problems that Haiti has had for some time.

How would you react if you saw people getting shot and killed daily? Would you hide? Would you lose hope? This is what Djo, a poverty-stricken 15-year-old, faces every day in Taste of Salt by Frances Temple.
Temple's characters endure drive-bys, stealing, starvation, thirst, and the Macoutes killing innocent people in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Titid, a Haitian priest, meets Djo, and they become good friends. When Titid decides to run for the president of Haiti, many people are happy, especially Djo because he is part of Titid's election campaign, but others, including the Macoutes, are angry and unhappy. In February, 1992, the Macoutes, who are a private army of thugs working for the dictator, set fire to one of Titid's homeless shelters, where Djo and others that are on Titid's election campaign are sleeping. Djo is very badly burnt and beaten, but he survives. Since Titid is afraid that Djo will die without anybody knowing his story, he hires Jeremie, a poor student at a Catholic girls' school, to allow Djo to tell his story to her, and she will record it. Frances Temple switches points of view between Djo and Jeremie. This technique lets the reader know multiple views. In this novel, she informs the reader that people need hope to stay alive. It also teaches the reader that you need to take risks in your life because, if not, you will be leaving in fear.
I liked this book, and I could not put it down. I recommend this historical fiction to all young adults. You can learn a lot about hope, freedom, and courage if you think about Djo's, Jeremie's, and Titid's perspective on these happenings and events.

"I feel a rope go around my feet, pulled tight. Hands lift me up rough and throw me down on some board. The board begins to shake. I'm in the back of a truck." This is one of the many action scenes that take place in this work of historical fiction Taste of Salt by Frances Temple.
In Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, Djo, a 17 year old Haitian boy, lies in the hospital after a brutal firebombing. While at the hospital, a girl named Jeremie comes in once a day to record Djo's life story on a tape recorder. Jeremie has been sent by Titid, a Haitian priest that takes Djo off the streets and gives him a home. Before Titid became president, a violent dictator was controlling Haiti. Once Titid becomes president, he begins to defend the poor. The book shows that under a dictatorship people are willing to do anything to stay alive and gain freedom.
This book was well written and will appeal to all ages. As I was reading, it always kept me on the edge of my seat, and I never wanted to put it down. It is filled with action, history, and shows you how education can free people. Frances Temple is truly an amazing writer because she makes you feel like you're experiencing everything that the main character is. I would recommend this book to anyone without hesitation.