Ayiti

Ayiti was not an easy read, despite being 173 pages long. Each story leaves an emotional impact, makes you think about the people in it.

On the one hand, I'm glad Gay doesn't pull her punches. The stories are raw and unapologetic, they portray extremes or the human condition - war, poverty, rape, loss of loved ones. These topics are important, they need to be talked about, especially in the face of oversimplification of others' struggles that I see so often online and in real life. Yet I think some of the stories are too rough for me, too cruel.

At the same time, among the bleakness, there's people's hope. Either hope for a better future abroad, or hope to return to a safer home. One of the topics that really touched me, as someone who lives away from her motherland, is the latter. As someone who misses home, I can strongly identify with the people who, despite all the horrid things happening in Haiti, still want to go back. I know that feeling - home will always be home.

I didn't know how to evaluate this book on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. It taught me so much about Haiti, but it emotionally disturbed me. It features the best of human ability to stay hopeful, to adapt and move on, as well as showcase their most vicious and cruel behavior. It was both fascinating and unexpected, yet I struggled with it towards the end.

Don't let the three stars mislead you, though - I am glad I read it. I might want to read it when I'm older and, hopefully, more emotionally resilient. I do recommend it, as well. If you're anything like me (a white person from Europe who doesn't travel much), chances are, it will be like nothing like what you've ever read before.

Many of these stories are brutal, and I believe all of them are shockingly explicit. It's amazing how Gay can write so plainly, to just lay the truth bare. It's hard to look at. I love everything she's written. The only thing that saddens me is that every story was about pain, and perhaps finding some small pleasure in that pain. I would have loved one story that focused on joy or pride in Haiti rather than just enending pain.

A beautiful compilations of stories that capture the essence of Haitians in the mainland and the Diaspora. Painful at some points, but fully grabs your attention, I couldn't put the book down!

3.5