Edwidge Danticat’s Dèy is an elegy — not only for lives lost, but for neighborhoods transformed, two homelands in crisis and our past and future selves. The post Edwidge Danticat’s Dèy steps into the unexpected things we grieve in life | Review appeared first on The Haitian Times.
NEW YORK — What exactly are we mourning in Dèy, Edwidge Danticat’s new novel?
At first, given that the title is the Haitian Creole word for grief or mourning, the answer seems obvious and emotionally daunting. But as we meet Magnolia, a Miami real estate agent who survives a mass shooting, and her story unfolds, it becomes clear that mourning those who died that fateful day is not the only burden weighing on her heart.
By the last page, Dèy facilitates reflection on multiple losses. Chiefly, for the lives we once knew as we strive for agency; for our nations and neighborhoods alike; and for the idea of loved ones as they “should” be versus who they are.
Danticat carries us through each storyline in her signature heavy-yet-light style, crafting an evocative commentary on life in America today — and perhaps her most American novel yet.
On its surface, Dèy follows Magnolia, a Haitian American real estate agent who survives a mass shooting at a South Florida shopping mall, pre-pandemic. Already in the middle of a life change, Magnolia escapes physically unharmed, but the emotional aftermath ripples through every aspect of her life.
Her journey is not only about her grappling with coming so close to death. In Magnolia’s day-to-day, Danticat subtly leads us from the initial stages of grief, the shock of the event, to how mourning accumulates over time, taking shape through people, places and possibilities treated differently because of the loss, and finally finding solace.
We feel Magnolia’s struggle as she recounts flashes of her childhood and college years in New York. She recalls parts that set her up for who she would become and provide clues into where she should go or avoid in fashioning a new version of herself. Who can’t relate to that?
As Magnolia navigates her relationships — with her daughter, partner, boss, clients and extended family, as well as the shooting’s aftermath — Danticat walks us through South Florida’s evolution. Gentrification may be old news for many readers. What’s new here is Danticat’s intimate treatment of the domino effect it triggers.
Perhaps this is why of Danticat’s novels, Dèy feels the closest to autobiographical in a geographical sense. Magnolia’s trek from Miami to Broward County is clearly steeped in Danticat’s own decades-long residency, carrying the intimacy of lived experience. From visits to Libreri Mapou to meeting the new faces buying properties, raucous family gatherings in lush backyards to the flights to Haiti, Magnolia’s excursion is a testament to “write what you know” when done masterfully.
EMBED: https://haitiantimes.com/2025/05/16/haitian-american-author-edwidge-danticat-interview/
Commentaires (0)
Laisser un commentaire
Aucun commentaire. Soyez le premier !