When the Mapou Sings
When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede is a novel in verse published by Candlewick Press on December 3, 2024. This 432-page book is written in English and weaves a narrative infused with magical realism, set against the backdrop of 1930s Haiti. The story follows sixteen-year-old Lucille, who dreams of opening a school for girls with her best friend. However, her life takes a dramatic turn when her friend disappears, prompting Lucille to confront the local authority and navigate a world filled with political intrigue and personal risk.
Readers will find a rich exploration of first love, justice, and self-determination as Lucille’s journey unfolds. As she flees her home and takes a position with a wealthy family in Port-au-Prince, she grapples with her feelings for her employer’s son while facing societal challenges. The narrative also touches on themes of cultural identity and resilience, as Lucille’s experiences intertwine with the historical context of Haiti. This edition presents a compelling blend of juvenile fiction and historical elements, inviting readers to engage with Lucille’s quest for justice and connection in a turbulent time.
Official synopsis Publisher
Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.
Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream–a gift from the Mapou–tells Lucille to go to her village’s section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family’s at risk.
Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again–this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille’s new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about–and any chance of seeing her best friend again–as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.
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