Krik? Krak!

“Children of the Sea” is narrated by two anonymous lovers who are separated when one is forced to flee Haiti. The young woman’s tone reflects a sense of helplessness. In her first letter, she explains that the trauma of living in fear of the Tonton Macoute makes her “so cross and irritable. i pass the time by chasing roaches around the house. i pound my heel on their heads. they make me so mad” (4). Living in fear of sexual violence and domestic violence, the anonymous female narrator has no sense of power except in killing insects. Later, describing the violence of the Tonton Macoute, she says that “if I knew some good wanga magic, I would wipe them off the face of the earth” (7). Her desperation for magic demonstrates her helplessness in the face of political and social chaos.

The young woman’s boyfriend, the only male narrator in the collection, bears witness to the trauma of a young girl named Célianne who was raped by the Tonton Macoute in Haiti and gives birth to a stillborn child aboard a refugee ship bound for Miami. The boyfriend’s connection to his lover in Haiti and his experiences with Célianne underscore the Gendered Violence against and Resilience of Women in Haitian Diaspora.