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Genevieve, a single mother, flies from New York to Port-au-Prince with her teenage son, Miles. The trip is meant to be an education for fifteen-year-old Miles—a chance to learn about his family’s roots while coming to terms with his father’s departure—but it’s also an excuse for Genevieve to escape the city, where her life is dominated by her failed marriage and the daily pressures of raising Black children in America. For Genevieve, the journey is also a homecoming of sorts: An opportunity to visit the island she remembers from childhood and reconnect with family. But when the country is rocked by a massive earthquake—decimating the city and putting their lives at risk—their visit becomes a nightmare of survival.
Written before the horrific earthquake that struck Haiti in 2021, The Garden of Broken Things delivers readers beyond the headlines and into the shattered world of a distant family—coming together, forced apart—suddenly brought to the brink.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
May 10, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593551097
- File size: 274517 KB
- Duration: 09:31:54
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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March 14, 2022
In the fast-paced and lyrical latest from Momplaisir (My Mother’s House), a third-generation Haitian immigrant to the U.S. and divorced mother of two struggles to reconnect with her family and survive the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Genevieve Ducasse worries about her son, who has been growing distant and getting in trouble with the NYPD, so she takes him on a trip to Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, to introduce him to their heritage and extended family. While there, Genevieve chafes at her cousin Ateya, whose endurance of domestic violence and poverty has left her embittered and abusive toward her own daughter. Their lives are upended when the earthquake hits, compelling them to seek out scarce medical care and a path to safety, and then begin the process of grieving and rebuilding. The Haiti scenes sizzle with detail, but the U.S. ones falter in comparison, relying on excessive exposition and resulting in such characters as Genevieve’s cheating ex-husband and long-suffering grandmother feeling clichéd. Still, Momplaisir has talent, and while the edges may be rough, this is a moving glimpse into the dynamics of Haitian diasporic culture. -
September 1, 2022
Genevieve is a Haitian-born American who is divorced with two sons. She works as a psychiatrist, which provides a life of luxury for her family. Her older son, Miles, has never recovered from his father's departure. At 15, he has reached an age of rebellion and is only just beginning to understand the difficulties of being Black in the United States. Genevieve decides to take Miles to Haiti to meet his family, learn about his roots, and see for himself how lucky he is to have the life she provides him. Only a few days into their visit, a massive earthquake decimates the country. Genevieve and Miles survive and make a harrowing journey across the country to find help, but they remain haunted by what they have experienced. Momplaisir (My Mother's House) exposes the ills of the world and brings out the book's poetic cadence. Narrators Jade Wheeler and Karen Chilton movingly read about such themes as growing up Black, child abuse, man hating, philandering, poverty, and the power of nature, all of which are intertwined in this story. VERDICT Listeners of literary works with a multicultural lens will enjoy this.--Joanna M. Burkhardt
Copyright 2022 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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