Freedom In The Dismal

by Monifa A. Love

Because of his participation in a crime, David Lesesne Carmichael -- a young black man of great promise -- has been given the unusually harsh sentence of thirty years in jail. As the novel opens, he and his childhood sweetheart, Camille Royce Dumas, find themselves separated, faced with the Herculean task of sustaining their impassioned relationship through words and words alone. Their letters necessarily become their only means of communication; they embody the sublimated love they can never consummate.

The voices of the dead-both strangers and family members -- echo through these letters, bringing up images that ring with racial memories. David's and Camille's written words are vehicles not only for the expression of their love, but also for the remembrance of the cruel realities of their history: there is the runaway slave who hangs himself from a tree rather than face the possibility of recapture; and the woman who goes down to the sea literally to smell the ships in the hope that she can envision her native Africa.

This bizarre, seemingly impossible romanticism is a backdrop to our lovers' plight. It highlights their own deprivation, that the tragedy of David and Camille was inevitable and will go on repeating itself -- through other lovers and other live -- until the historic injustices suffered by African-Americans on this continent are ameliorated.

While love, in any form, offers no solutions, it is a vital element in this intense novel that provides the reader with new insights into the meaning and complexity of the black experience.

Genres: Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1998

Reviews

[Miles Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful mix of letters, poetry and prose. Listened to sin rumbo on repeat during the second half and it felt so natural.

Qué amargura
No saber
No poder sentirte
Poder besarte

Te veo cambiar a lo lejos
Vengo a adorarte
Pero desde la distancia
Desde la distancia te añoraré

[Richard White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book. It's a quirky read, reflecting the author's interest in poetry and literature. I picked up this book and read it all in one setting. I would highly recommend this to anyone.

[Kenya · Rating 3 out of 5]

A class assignment and book report. It was a fairly good read ^^