Search

In the title piece, “East of Haiti,” Old Jean Morisseau waits for his son Claude, who he hasn’t seen in ten years, and worries about his grandson Christopher, whose mother—like so many others—crossed the border into the neighboring country and disappeared. As the boy grows, he begins to read his missing father’s diary. And one day, he gathers his courage and leaves his grandfather and their small village to find his dad. Sanchez Beras paints stirring images of the Haitians and Dominicans who share the island of Hispaniola in this collection of three novellas. Don Victoriano Zaldivar, a landowner and “lord over the lives of many who were dirt poor,” doesn’t let his advanced age interfere with his preference for young girls. He plots to conquer Aurorita, who he acknowledges is still a child, but “has the look of a woman.” Young Albertico Durosier is poor and black, but he learns to juggle his fragmented identity, presenting himself as Dominican in certain circumstances and Haitian in others. On his mother’s deathbed, she confesses his father was a well-to-do white man who took advantage of the black Haitian cleaning girl in his family’s employ. Delving into the adversities of race, poverty and discrimination, Sanchez Beras’ stories follow ordinary people working ceaselessly toward a better life for themselves and their loved ones. This intriguing addition to Caribbean literature is notable for its setting—the mountains and other local communities without a view of the beach so familiar to tourists—and its glimpse into the issues that lead to so many leaving their home for opportunities elsewhere.

Aurorita acaba de cumplir diez años y es una de las mejores de su clase. Es alegre y educada, y sueña con ser doctora. Pero no sabe que sus planes podrían ser tronchados por un lobo peligroso que la acecha: don Victoriano, el hacendado más rico de la región. Don Victoriano todavía a sus setenta años se cree "un hombre de pelo en pecho"; y nada le afianzaría más aquella fantasía que sus macabros planes. Por eso, habiendo comprado las tierras donde viven Aurorita y sus padres, le ha dado un ultimátum al padre de esta: "Tienen diez días para dejarme estas tierras vacías". Don Aureliano sabe que estas humildes personas no tienen dinero con qué pagarles. Por eso los presiona: porque él le tiene al padre de la niña una propuesta.César Sánchez Beras (Premio Nacional de Ensayo, Poesía, y Literatura infantil) nos trae esta estremecedora novela para jóvenes, apostando a que una historia bien contada hace tanto o más bien que un sermón o un consejo. Los personajes de Todas tienen mi nombre se sienten reales y accesibles porque el autor es un estudioso del comportamiento humano, un experimentador de circunstancias, las cuales explora y analiza a cabalidad para poder reconfigurarlas en historias llenas de vida, belleza, enseñanzas, y poesía... tales como esta. Con lenguaje preciso y una prosa decorada sutilmente con giros poéticos, César nos trae una poderosa historia de egoísmo, machismo, y tradiciones retorcidas, pero también de amor filial, el poder de la amistad, y la convicción de que el bien tiene oportunidad cuando se cree en él.

At times humorous, at times controversial, sometimes poignant, and often inspirational, the Grey Court Poets write about the places, relationships, and experiences that make up our lives. The Merrimack Valley in northern Massachusetts has been the birthplace, home, and inspiration for such poets as Whittier, Kerouac, and Frost. Following their rich tradition, the Grey Court Poets' first anthology showcases the broad spectrum of their individual writing styles, and embodies the modern voice of the Merrimack Valley.