First published 1997
Marie-Sophie Laborieux, the spirited daughter of a freed slave, establishes a precarious settlement in Martinique. Her shantytown faces constant threats from hostile landowners who want to drive out the residents and from the unstable nature of the community itself. Marie-Sophie recounts her family's history across one hundred and fifty years of Caribbean life after slavery, weaving together individual stories of struggle and survival. An urban planner arrives to document the settlement, creating tension between official authority and the community's organic development. Through Marie-Sophie's voice and the voices of her neighbors, the novel builds a collective portrait of people forging their identity in a world that offers little security. The residents of the shantytown must navigate between preserving their past and adapting to an uncertain future. Marie-Sophie's storytelling becomes both an act of resistance and a way to affirm the community's right to exist on their own terms.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, cultural, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, narrative-voice, organic-community
Setting: Martinique
Period: Post-Slavery
Paperback · Vintage