Dance on the Volcano
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- ¥2,000
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- ¥2,000
Publisher Description
Dance on the Volcano tells the story of two sisters growing up during the Haitian Revolution in a culture that swings heavily between decadence and poverty, sensuality and depravity. One sister, because of her singing ability, is able to enter into the white colonial society otherwise generally off limits to people of color. Closely examining a society sagging under the white supremacy of the French colonist rulers, Dance on the Volcano is one of only novels to closely depict the seeds and fruition of the Haitian Revolution, tracking an elaborate hierarchy of skin color and class through the experiences of two young women. It is a story about hatred and fear, love and loss, and the complex tensions between colonizer and colonized, masterfully translated by Kaiama L. Glover.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Originally published in 1957, Vieux-Chauvet's novel of 18th-century Haiti unpacks race and class relations through the story of a talented but persecuted singer. Minette is a mulatto woman with a singing voice incomparable in all of Haiti. From a young age, her talent is nurtured by a local theater patron, who plans to cause a scandal by presenting her as the first black performer Port-au-Prince has ever seen. However, as Minette will soon find out, her benefactress' motives are not completely pure. Minette will have a difficult struggle ahead in her quest to be taken seriously as a singer, a lover, and a free woman in a time when racial prejudice and classism trump all law and reason. Vieux-Chauvet's novel is that rare gem that takes an ambitious scope and successfully captures the social and political turmoil of a country at war. The story's pacing suffers as the later chapters develop at a breakneck speed, lacking transitions between major events. But those interested in Haitian history, deep explorations of social injustice, and courageous, determined heroines will find much to enjoy in Vieux-Chauvet's masterly tale.
