Crossing the Mangrove

From the author of Segu, this beautifully crafted,Rashomon-like novel is imbued with all the nuances,and traditions of Caribbean culture.,.

In this beautifully crafted, Rashomon-like novel, Maryse Conde has written a gripping story imbued with all the nuances and traditions of Caribbean culture. Francis Sancher—a handsome outsider, loved by some and reviled by others—is found dead, face down in the mud on a path outside Riviere au Sel, a small village in Guadeloupe.  None of the villagers are particularly surprised, since Sancher, a secretive and melancholy man, had often predicted an unnatural death for himself.  As the villagers come to pay their respects they each—either in a speech to the mourners, or in an internal monologue—reveal another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death.  Like pieces of an elaborate puzzle, their memories interlock to create a rich and intriguing portrait of a man and a community. In the lush and vivid prose for which she has become famous, Conde has constructed a Guadeloupean wake for Francis Sancher.  Retaining the full color and vibrance of Conde's homeland, Crossing the Mangrove pays homage to Guadeloupe in both subject and structure.

None of the villagers are particularly surprised when Francis Sancher, a secretive amd melancholy man who predicted an unnatural death for himself, is found dead, face down in the mud. But, as the villagers pay their respects, each of them reveals another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death.

In this beautifully crafted, Rashomon-like novel, Maryse Conde has written a gripping story imbued with all the nuances and traditions of Caribbean culture. Francis Sancher--a handsome outsider, loved by some and reviled by others--is found dead, face down in the mud on a path outside Riviere au Sel, a small village in Guadeloupe. None of the villagers are particularly surprised, since Sancher, a secretive and melancholy man, had often predicted an unnatural death for himself. As the villagers come to pay their respects they each--either in a speech to the mourners, or in an internal monologue--reveal another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death. Like pieces of an elaborate puzzle, their memories interlock to create a rich and intriguing portrait of a man and a community. In the lush and vivid prose for which she has become famous, Conde has constructed a Guadeloupean wake for Francis Sancher. Retaining the full color and vibrance of Conde's homeland, Crossing the Mangrove pays homage to Guadeloupe in both subject and structure. In Guadeloupe, a man is found dead in the village of Riviere au Sel. He was Francis Sancher, a handsome individual, liked by some and reviled by others. The villagers come to pay their last respects and in speech or in internal monologue reveal their relationship to him. They include the postman who was his friend, the man who hated his guts and the woman who wishes she could burn on his pyre. By the author of Segu