In today’s episode, we discuss the nation of Haiti, a small country in the Caribbean with a history that is equal parts heroic and tragic. It was the first country in the world to be established by a successful slave revolt, following a 12-year war of independence from France in 1804. But it has in recent years been in the news more for its political instability & economic struggles, not to mention a cataclysmic earthquake in 2010 which killed anywhere between 100,000 to 300,000 people.

My guest today is the Haitian author Dimitry Leger who wrote a novel based in the country called “God Loves Haiti” which was published in 2015 and revolves around a cast of characters on the island who are caught in the 2010 earthquake. The book examines the aftermath of this tragedy on the local population, with questions around fate & divine intervention arising from the rubble. There’s an absurdist, tragicomic but fundamentally human tale here which reflects the complex history & culture of Haiti.

In this interview, we talk about the country of Haiti, as seen through his book, what it means to be Haitian and what great literature Dimitry recommends.

Here’s a quick recap of the books that Dimitry mentioned:

Pico Ayer: The Half Known Life, by the British travel writer Pico Iyer

Soleil a Coudre by Jean d’Amerique

Edwige Danticat – Haitian American author

Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

Find Dimitry:

Buy his book: https://amzn.eu/d/dKV3By0

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dimitryleger/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dimitryleger?lang=en

Follow me @litwithcharles for more book reviews and recommendations!