Passion Haïti par Rodney Saint-Éloi

Reviews 263 make ethical cases for the place of death as an event for others beyond that of one’s passing out of life. The neighbor’s anonymity in this narrative is also significant as a commentary on the universal nature of this situation. Roland not only left the neighbor his dog and his ashes but also an inheritance. The neighbor is annoyed by his inability to transfer the dog and Roland’s ashes to others but in the process meets Chantal who was Roland’s masseuse every Tuesday. The combination of all three gifts from Roland makes the neighbor rethink his own values and priorities as he wonders whether, at almost forty years old, he has thus far wasted his life. Opportunities do turn up for the neighbor to save himself as he deals with the unwanted legacies from Roland. As he looks at Roland’s life, he wonders whether Roland is now reaching out to him beyond his death: “[I]l s’est vengé après sa mort” (77). Trinity University (TX) Roland A. Champagne Saint-Éloi, Rodney. Passion Haïti. Québec: Septentrion, 2016. ISBN 978-2-89448847 -8. Pp. 205. In this rich depiction of his homeland, Saint-Éloi presents extensive cultural and personal background while describing his beloved Haiti and his haïtianité. Currently living in Montreal, as he has since 2001, the author offers, among other topics, poetic descriptions of his initial decision to choose exile, his indisputable Haitian roots and its many literary influences, as well as the intense love he holds for his grandmother, Tida, who gifted him with lessons of life and learning well beyond her own abilities. Incorporating much of what other contemporary Haitian writers underscore and struggle with in their works today, including how to help lessen an all too prevalent “misérabilisme mercantile” (22) associated with the country while acknowledging its continuing litany of problems, Saint-Éloi walks this writer’s tightrope quite effectively by describing the good and bad in Haiti, past, present, and future. Readers will appreciate the broad and somewhat innocent inspiration that initially prompted the author’s decision to leave Haiti:“Quand on habite une île, le regard se porte ailleurs et le verbe à conjuguer à tous les temps, c’est bien celui de partir”(9), as well as his more pointed and critical reasoning regarding his decision: “Je suis parti. On ne sait jamais trop les raisons. Les justifications ne tiennent pas. On tente toute sa vie de se convaincre que partir était la meilleure des décisions. Je suis parti pour fuir cette marée d’amertumes [...]. Ce jeu d’abattage, exercice exacerbé de haine et de mépris, me répugne. Ce sport d’élite pour qui est plus beau, qui est plus clair, qui est plus propre, qui est plus intelligent et plus séduisant [...] finit part tuer les âmes” (17). The two distinct, fluctuating points of view, that of the grateful native son and the now-seasoned exiled observer, are expressed throughout with the uncomplicated desire to offer something new amid the seemingly endless clamor of societal misconceptions: “Je voudrais pouvoir parler comme un enfant parle, sans concession, sans trop de précautions, libre et passionné avec la rage de vivre et la lumière de la vérité, et surtout avec le plus grand plaisir de raconter. Il faut de nouvelles narrations à Haïti” (22). Additional topics treated in this insightful narration include a tribute to his birthplace, Cavaillon, a short treatise on Haitian voodoo, “L’île magique où les hommes et les dieux se tiennent la main” (138), and a frank examination of color bar issues that continue to divide: “Le noirisme, autant que le mulâtrisme, sont des plaies qui tuent. La République se mue en 10 millions de complexés qui se battent autour de la couleur de la peau” (191). Finally, the moving acknowledgment by Saint-Éloi in the last chapter that he owes his reading ability to his grandmother who could not read—“En fait, tu m’as donné ce que tu n’as pas. Tu m’as donné le verbe donner”(204)—reminds us all of the selfless gifts and true courage...

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