Crossing the Mangrove

In this beautifully crafted, Rashomon-like novel, Maryse Conde has written a gripping story imbued with all the nuances and traditions of Caribbean culture. Francis Sancher--a handsome outsider, loved by some and reviled by others--is found dead, face down in the mud on a path outside Riviere au Sel, a small village in Guadeloupe. None of the villagers are particularly surprised, since Sancher, a secretive and melancholy man, had often predicted an unnatural death for himself. As the villagers come to pay their respects they each--either in a speech to the mourners, or in an internal monologue--reveal another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death.

Like pieces of an elaborate puzzle, their memories interlock to create a rich and intriguing portrait of a man and a community. In the lush and vivid prose for which she has become famous, Conde has constructed a Guadeloupean wake for Francis Sancher. Retaining the full color and vibrance of Conde's homeland, Crossing the Mangrove pays homage to Guadeloupe in both subject and structure.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: 02/01/1995
ISBN: 9780385476331
Pages: 224
Weight: 0.46lbs
Size: 8.21h x 5.45w x 0.57d

Review Citations: Booklist 02/15/1995 pg. 1057
Library Journal 03/15/1995 pg. 96
Publishers Weekly 01/23/1995 pg. 65
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/1995 pg. 8
New York Times 07/16/1995 pg. 17