Dèy by Edwidge Danticat review
The first novel in over a decade from the acclaimed Haitian-American author lacks the power of earlier works
TL;DR
- The novel Dèy begins with a shooting in a Miami mall, which rattles the protagonist, Magnolia.
- Magnolia's life is characterized by her mother's mental health issues, her father's aspirations for a retirement home in Haiti, and her upbringing by an aunt whose family was killed during Papa Doc Duvalier's regime.
- The narrative explores themes of violence, trauma, displacement, and the impact of political rhetoric on Haitian immigrants.
- The review praises Danticat's depictions of Miami's Little Haiti but criticizes the novel's protagonist for being a "wan, disassociated narrator."
- The book is described as lacking the power of Danticat's earlier works, with motifs and themes being overly explicit and the prose too "tame, so scented."