Vodou in Haitian Life and Culture: Invisible Powers

by Claudine Michel (Editor), Patrick Bellegarde-Smith

This book introduces readers to the practice of Vodou and helps deconstruct and destroy stereotypes which have survived for hundreds of years. The authors in the collection--from Karen McCarthy Brown to Gerdes Fleurant to Leslie Desmangles--are leading scholars in the rapidly growing field of Vodou Studies. Tackling a wide range of Vodou practices and images, the essays within work to introduce readers to the history and practice of this religion, and to correct the fiction of Vodou which has been circulating as fact. The book focuses specifically on the role Vodou plays in Haiti, the country in which it has its strongest following, examining the influence it has on spiritual beliefs, cultural practices, national identity, popular culture, writing and art. By looking in detail at the beliefs and practices in one country, the reader will begin to understand this unique religion and the multiple domains in which it operates.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Anthropology

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Onyx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the essays are incredibly interesting and enlightening, while others were so boring they made ten pages feel like fifty. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book to a general readership—it leans towards the drier side of academia.