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sumayyah_t's review against another edition
4.0
It is difficult to say that I enjoyed a book as painful and haunting as this one.
In 1937, Amabelle is a constant companion to Señora Valencia. She wants to live a simple life with her lover, Sebastien. Within days, her life is turned upside down. Racial tension is thick in the air. Rumors of Haitians being killed on the Dominican side of the border where she works and lives become more than rumors. Amabelle makes plans to escape with her lover and a group of their fellow Haitians and return to their home. Many gruesome and senseless deaths occur. Many more are injured. What comes next is a struggle to understand the events, and an attempt to make a place of peace within a world gone wrong.
In 1937, Amabelle is a constant companion to Señora Valencia. She wants to live a simple life with her lover, Sebastien. Within days, her life is turned upside down. Racial tension is thick in the air. Rumors of Haitians being killed on the Dominican side of the border where she works and lives become more than rumors. Amabelle makes plans to escape with her lover and a group of their fellow Haitians and return to their home. Many gruesome and senseless deaths occur. Many more are injured. What comes next is a struggle to understand the events, and an attempt to make a place of peace within a world gone wrong.
dommdy's review against another edition
1.0
DNF. the audiobook narration was no good, couldn’t follow the story
emoskovitz's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
rosedee1995's review against another edition
5.0
I recommend that everyone reads this book! A painful story for a forgotten history.
cookehcrumbla's review
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
anushree's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Two mountains can never meet but perhaps you and I can meet again. I am coming to your waterfall.
I love a book that is both inviting and lovely in its prose. Despite being a book about tragedy, I appreciate the space that eroticism and pleasure get to take (although only for part of the book) inside it. The Farming of Bones counters the idea that the smart and quick-witted can escape from the clutches of devastation, presenting instead a protagonist that is plagued by What ifs? who survives only through luck and the death of others. To survive is to be guilty, Amabelle seems to say, questioning the concept of an innocent victim. I also appreciate that this book isn't devoid of hope; there is some futurity available to those that survive, albeit difficult and undefined.
ms5269's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
missnicolerose's review against another edition
5.0
#readtheworld Haiti
A beautifully-written, heartbreaking, fictional account of the Parsley Massacre in the Dominican Republic in 1937. Under the guidance of the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, an estimated 20,000 Haitians were executed by soldiers and civilians in the Dominican Republic over the course of a week.
In the story, Amabelle is a Hatian domestic servant working for a Dominican/Spanish family in the Dominican Republic. Amabelle's betrothed, Sebastien, is a laborer on a nearby sugar cane plantation. Once the massacre begins, Amabelle, Sebastien and thousands of others must make the difficult decision whether to stay, hide or flee to the border.
Amabelle's journey to the border is harrowing and heartbreaking. While her story is just a miniscule snippet of what occurred during this historical tragedy, it allows an outsider a glimpse of the devastation this caused on the island of Hispanola.
I commend Danticat for her portrayal of these characters and the history she was able to provide to this incredible story.
A beautifully-written, heartbreaking, fictional account of the Parsley Massacre in the Dominican Republic in 1937. Under the guidance of the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo, an estimated 20,000 Haitians were executed by soldiers and civilians in the Dominican Republic over the course of a week.
In the story, Amabelle is a Hatian domestic servant working for a Dominican/Spanish family in the Dominican Republic. Amabelle's betrothed, Sebastien, is a laborer on a nearby sugar cane plantation. Once the massacre begins, Amabelle, Sebastien and thousands of others must make the difficult decision whether to stay, hide or flee to the border.
Amabelle's journey to the border is harrowing and heartbreaking. While her story is just a miniscule snippet of what occurred during this historical tragedy, it allows an outsider a glimpse of the devastation this caused on the island of Hispanola.
I commend Danticat for her portrayal of these characters and the history she was able to provide to this incredible story.