A Wedding in Haiti (Shannon Ravenel Books (Paperback))

A couple of things for the reader to bear in mind. When I first went to the DR as a 1st tour Foreign Service Officer back in 1978, the Haiti/Dominican border used to be one of the few political borders visible from space because of massive deforestation on the Haitian side and less people/adequate controls on the Dominican side. Back then the only Haitians you would find in the DR were the Haitians cutting the sugar cane. Coffee farmers used dominicans to harvest coffee and manage their farms - not haitians such as Julia Alvarez does today. Haitians now completely dominate all aspects of the Dominican low salary labor market and their encroachment into the DR along the border has eliminated the visible border difference from space - just look at GoogleEarth. However the cultures remain quite different and travel by Dominicans into Haiti remains quite limited, especially across the Northern border crossing. This is why Ms. Alvarez's travelogue and her observations are so special, such as the mango ladies near her destination in Haiti. She really brings it to life. I did the same trip back in 1998 from Dajabon to Cape Haitien when I was only allowed to pass because my car had diplomatic license plates. The only other vehicle allowed to pass was a daily truck filled with Dominican ice that went to Cape Haitien.

The first sin any writer can make when writing a story about Haiti is to fall into the stereotype trap. "A wedding in Haiti", by Julia Alvarez, has little to do with a wedding but to satisfy the writer's insatiable lust to demean Haitian living. She did that in so many ways but the most egregious is to repeat, like so many before her, that "Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere". How uninspiring and snobbish. The author said that growing up in the Dominican Republic, she was taught to view Haiti with suspicion. Well, she is all grown up now; isn't it time for her to view Haiti with objectivity? Nothing she writes about in the book enlightens or touches the heart, or shows she took the time to understand her characters. After reading the book, I am left thirsty for her point. She manages to go out of her way to include a side trip to Port-au-Prince that has nothing to do with the wedding. Along with a rag tag crew in tow, she could not resist being a calamity tourist on the heel of the devastating earthquake. What was the point? Uninspiring and snobbish! Write about Haitians and their lives if you want; but understand they're more than the broken roads, the lack of comfort and their survival idiosyncrasies. With open heart and shed preconceptions, anyone can discover that Haitians are also a people with depth. It only takes a little time.

I actually give this book 4 1/2 stars as I liked it a lot. I liked it because it flowed beautifully. It is easy to connect with Julia Alvaraz and the people she shares her visits to Haiti with. The story is really interesting and so informative. I feel like I could really picture where they were. Ms Alvaraz clearly is devoted to the people of both the Dominican Republic and Haiti. She is empathetic but not condescending. She is actually quite humble. I highly recommend this story. It is both "feel good" and inspiring.

As soon as I heard about A Wedding in Haiti, I ordered the Kindle version because Julia Alvarez is one of my favorite authors. The descriptions of how things are here{ I live here in DR} are bang on!! I love the part about crossing the border because it is exactly how it is. The bickering that occurs on road trips, especially road trips here, where, well roads disappear was hilarious. My favorite part is her description of how life gets complicated here, once one starts living, caring and loving being here. I couldn't stop reading until the last word.

In this book, A Wedding in Haiti, Julia Alvarez shares her personal experiences, friendships and relationships in such a way that made me feel as if we were old acquaintances. I have to admit that I reluctantly started reading this book but was quickly won over by her warmth and openness in her telling of her relationships and travels in Haiti. Until I read this book I had no desire to travel to the Dominican Republic or to Haiti. Thank you Julia Alvarez.

This is a first-person story of the author and her husband's experiences owning a free trade coffee farm in Haiti. It is a simple tale of average people, Haitian, Dominican and American, who try to support one another in a complex world.

Having just returned from a week-long mission trip to Limbe, Haiti, when I heard the author interviewed on NPR, I knew I had to read this book. Her descriptions of Haiti are spot-on and provided me with some needed insight. Despite the unbelievable poverty and total lack of infrastructure, the author allows the strength and beauty of the Haitian people to shine through, with a sense of humor to boot.

This is a well written book, and paints a picture of life in Haiti. I learned more about the relationship between Haiti and it's immediate neighbor, the Dominican Republic. It was a very interesting read, not a "can't put the book down" type, but one that presents a greater understanding of life on this island just to our south and the tragedies that continually pour hardship on these spirited, talented people.