Set amidst the sweeping landscape of
rural Haiti, Marie's Story is a first
person narrative on the life and
adventures of Marie and her brother
Gustaf. Orphaned after their mother
dies from a mysterious illness, Marie
and Gustaf live with their aunt on the
slopes of Pic La Ferriere.The
children earn a little money helping to
guide tourists up to La Citadelle, a
great fortress at the top of the
mountain.Their fragile world starts to
unravel as Marie too becomes ill and
one of her best friends is sent to
work as a domestic servant in the
nearby city of Cap Haitien.
The reality of her illness and its
connection to her mother slowly
works its way into the fabric of
Marie's life. Her interaction with a
kaleidoscope of characters creates a
reflection of the adult world and its
impact on Marie and on her
comprehension of unfolding events.
ILLUSTRATION for Marie's Story
by Therese Milis
EXCERPT - Marie's Story - La Citadelle
The horses are getting tired and have
slowed down. Zanj is panting. Her sides
go in and out rapidly and a trickle of
sweat runs down her flank.The man kicks
her in the belly to move on. I run up
behind her and quickly shake my branch
close to her tail. You cannot see La
Citadelle until you almost hit it.The road is
twisty and winds back and forth like a lazy
snake in the sun.The trees and bush crowd
around the path.
The tourists are laughing and talking to
each other, sometimes joking that perhaps
there is no Citadelle, that it's just a "tourist
trap". When the road curves around one of
the foundation walls and the huge blocks
can be seen between the trees, the tourists
go quiet. Gustaf, Cheeko and me look at
each other and smile. Cheeko nods his
head and his lips curve into a downward,
knowing smile; around the next cornor
those tourists are really going to see
something.
ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE
CRACKED CONCH
NORA RYAN