Edwidge Danticat's krik? krak! is a unique collection of stories centered around life in a troubled Haiti. Often wry and caustic, these stories have a way of inflicting their emotional power on the reader.
A native of Haiti, Danticat brings a fresh voice to the modern literary scene. Her voice evokes the hope that keeps many Haitians from committing desperate acts, while still pointing out the sadness that flows like an undercurrent through Haitian life.
As a perfect example, the first story of the book follows the correspondence between a young Haitian girl living at home, and her lover who has begun the arduous journey by boat to America. Although we understand that neither is able to actually deliver their messages to the other, the nakedness of the emotion expressed in each's letters reveals that the tiniest bit of hope allows them to believe that they may one day be able to complete the exchange.
I, personally, was astounded by the continuity of this collection, in which each story has some passing reference or relevance to one or more of the other stories (similar to the film trilogy Red, White, and Blue by Krzysztof Kieslowski) -- so we realize that we are getting views from different members of the same community.
I highly recommend this collection of stories. I have just scratched the surface of the various levels of thought at play in krik? krak! and hope that readers will take the initiative to scratch further for themselves.
