Rainy Season [Paperback]

Amy Wilentz (Author)

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Product Details

Paperback: 428 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (June 1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0671706284
ISBN-13: 978-0671706289
Product Dimensions: 21.1 x 13.2 x 2.8 cm
Shipping Weight: 522 g
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,186,310 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

In 1986, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, Haiti's "president-for-life," was forced to flee his country. A military junta had seized power, and the widespread feeling of unrest that had been brewing for years among the Haitian peasantry and the urban poor came to a boil, resulting in chaos: mass strikes, riots and other forms of violence. Wilentz's first book carefully, sensitively narrates these events in the first person, providing historical background when necessary, and telling the stories of Haitians from all walks of life, from the infamous "Tontons Macoute"--a ruthless government-sponsored vigilante group--to voodoo priests (who speak at length of their magic), and including government officials, missionaries, intellectuals, workers and the unemployed. The former Time reporter's numerous visits to the island between 1986 and 1988 enrich her account with details of daily life, both in the dilapidated alleys and slums of Port-au-Prince and in remote villages tucked away in lush tropical mountains. Her vivid record of an important piece of contemporary world history captures the sad political and quotidian existence of an impoverished albeit physically beautiful country.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This welcome interpretation of Haiti provides many insights into a country that few North Americans understand. Wilentz, a journalist, captures the complex cultural ambience and mystery of domestic politics with a penetrating eye and powerful description. Covering the years 1986-89, Wilentz analyzes political developments, centering her interpretations on the activities of a radical priest, interspersed with individual Haitian portraits and personal incidents. The flavor of Haiti is superbly conveyed, as are some unsavory aspects of the role of the press, the Catholic Church, and the U.S. embassy, but Wilentz's narrative is often unclear and her objectivity flawed. For academic and large public libraries.
- Roderic A. Camp, Central Coll., Pella, Ia .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com ^(beta)

Amazon.com: 4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential history for those interested in Haiti, Jun 15 2000

By "g2004" - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rainy Season (Paperback)

In The Rainy Season, Wilentz leads the reader through the world of Haiti and its people, both those who are corrupt and those who struggle each day against corruption. I will visit Haiti for the 6th time this summer but I have not previously read anything in-depth about Haitian history. This book opened my eyes to essential information that every traveller to Haiti should be aware of, out of respect to the violent history of Haiti and the people who have survived through it. No one should attempt to "help" the Haitian people without first understanding the results of "help" already rendered in the past. Wilentz makes these (often tragic) results clear, and humbles all of us in the process.

If you have gone to Haiti, or will go to Haiti, whether as a missionary, journalist, diplomat, or foreign aid worker, don't go ignorant. Read The Rainy Season (and more recent publications as well) first.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haiti in the interim, Jan 28 2000

By Jenifer Wells - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rainy Season (Paperback)

If you are trying to figure out the muddle that is Haitian political history, this book can help. Covering Haiti from the fall of Baby Doc until early 1989, Willentz gives a close-up look at the parade of dictators and terrorists running the (in theory) post-Duvalier country. She also provides a personal connection to Aristide, then a radical priest continually in hiding from a government wishing to silence him.

In addition to the internal political movements and terrorism, Willentz shows us the ties between Haiti's troubles and the United States. If you are not familiar with American policy in regard to Haiti, you will be in for a disappointing and infuriating surprise. We sucked!

The book also covers the standards to be found in every book on Haiti: voodoo, illiteracy, slave revolution rememberings, hunger, poverty, exploitation, class and racial imbalances.

Perhaps its greatest asset is the datedness of the text. Written after Duvalier and before Aristide, the view of both is fairly unbiased. If you want to learn more about Haiti's past, present and future, you should check this one out.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on a country too often ignored, Sep 13 1999

By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com

This review is from: Rainy Season (Paperback)

I just finished reading a copy of this book I found in a second-hand store. It's too bad it is out of print, because it is brilliant. It covers the period from 1986 to 1989, so it is a bit out of date -- a lot has happened in Haiti since then. But it remains relevant because it paints a vivid portrait of how challenging it is to change Haiti, something that remains true today. If you can find it, read it.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 6 reviews 4.7 out of 5 stars