January 13

The Dew Breaker
By Edwidge Danticat

This short novel tells of Haitian immigrants who are connected by tragic circumstances in their home country.  While most of the characters came of age when Haiti was ruled by the wicked Papa Doc Duvalier, we meet them, one at a time, in the present, in their adopted home in New York City - starting with a barber who has put down roots in his neighborhood.  As we are introduced to each one, we come to see and understand their plights and feelings, and we find, in the end, a strong connection.  Probably the most important lesson to learn is that immigrants have escaped a past so threatening and unpredictable that we wonder how they manage (if they do) to put it behind them and try to live normal lives in the land of freedom.

I think this is one of those stories that you should read again, and understand it even better.  Ms Danticat was raised in Haiti.