Myriam JA Chancy dazzles again with her beautiful writing. Blending a sad tale with poignant writing and the rekindling of a family. The narrative switches between time and location as readers follow the POV of Sisi and Gertie. The plot takes time to unfold and at times lags. I enjoyed the blend of Haitian Keyol, French and Spanish that took place in the book. I enjoy when authors do not cater to English-speaking audiences (though I fall into that category). The ending made me shed a tear. It was not what I wanted but it was very impactful. I thought the big fight in the book was a tad overdone, but I just hate the miscommunication trope in media

Between the main characters, I enjoyed them both but I was such a fan of Sisi! I could not understand her fascination with Gertie, after being friends for a short amount of time at a young age. The constant belief that Gertie was still one of her 'best friends' even after so much time had passed made me roll my eyes. The book focuses on women and their relationships, whether it was motherhood, sisterhood, daughterhood or romantic. I enjoyed that the most - the othering and decentering of men in the narrative. I enjoyed the unexplained cultural nuances that were sprinkled throughout the book.

I enjoyed the historical settings of each location. I was especially fascinated with the resistance in France by Algerians and Haitians. I also enjoyed reading about fictional characters under the Duvalier Regime. It was a perspective I hadn't gotten the chance to read before in fiction. It made me think about the Chinese under Mao or those in the Dominican Republic under Trujillo. The ever-present terror that sticks with the population and the desire to not step out of line.

Chancy has written another great novel.

Thank you to Tin House for an ARC and finished copy.