After the Dance

A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti (Updated)

Nonfiction, Travel, Caribbean & Latin America, Caribbean & West Indies, Adventure & Literary Travel, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book After the Dance by Edwidge Danticat, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Edwidge Danticat ISBN: 9781101872925
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Publication: April 28, 2015
Imprint: Vintage Language: English
Author: Edwidge Danticat
ISBN: 9781101872925
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication: April 28, 2015
Imprint: Vintage
Language: English

In After the Dance, one of Haiti’s most renowned daughters returns to her homeland, taking readers on a stunning, exquisitely rendered journey beyond the hedonistic surface of Carnival and into its deep heart.

Edwidge Danticat had long been scared off from Carnival by a loved one, who spun tales of people dislocating hips from gyrating with too much abandon, losing their voices from singing too loudly, going deaf from the clamor of immense speakers, and being punched, stabbed, pummeled, or fondled by other lustful revelers. Now an adult, she resolves to return and exorcise her Carnival demons. She spends the week before Carnival in the area around Jacmel, exploring the rolling hills and lush forests and meeting the people who live and die in them. During her journeys she traces the heroic and tragic history of the island, from French colonists and Haitian revolutionaries to American invaders and home-grown dictators. Danticat also introduces us to many of the performers, artists, and organizers who re-create the myths and legends that bring the Carnival festivities to life. When Carnival arrives, we watch as she goes from observer to participant and finally loses herself in the overwhelming embrace of the crowd.

Part travelogue, part memoir, this is a lyrical narrative of a writer rediscovering her country along with a part of herself. It’s also a wonderful introduction to Haiti’s southern coast and to the true beauty of Carnival.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In After the Dance, one of Haiti’s most renowned daughters returns to her homeland, taking readers on a stunning, exquisitely rendered journey beyond the hedonistic surface of Carnival and into its deep heart.

Edwidge Danticat had long been scared off from Carnival by a loved one, who spun tales of people dislocating hips from gyrating with too much abandon, losing their voices from singing too loudly, going deaf from the clamor of immense speakers, and being punched, stabbed, pummeled, or fondled by other lustful revelers. Now an adult, she resolves to return and exorcise her Carnival demons. She spends the week before Carnival in the area around Jacmel, exploring the rolling hills and lush forests and meeting the people who live and die in them. During her journeys she traces the heroic and tragic history of the island, from French colonists and Haitian revolutionaries to American invaders and home-grown dictators. Danticat also introduces us to many of the performers, artists, and organizers who re-create the myths and legends that bring the Carnival festivities to life. When Carnival arrives, we watch as she goes from observer to participant and finally loses herself in the overwhelming embrace of the crowd.

Part travelogue, part memoir, this is a lyrical narrative of a writer rediscovering her country along with a part of herself. It’s also a wonderful introduction to Haiti’s southern coast and to the true beauty of Carnival.

More books from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Cover of the book The Assignment by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book Betraying Spinoza by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book Invitation to a Beheading by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book The Death and Life of Great American Cities by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book The Reavers by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book Carry Me by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book The Magic Lantern by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book China 1945 by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book King Hereafter by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book As They Were by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book Love and Other Impossible Pursuits by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book The Woman Behind the New Deal by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book World War II Behind Closed Doors by Edwidge Danticat
Cover of the book A Really Good Day by Edwidge Danticat
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy