Enice

by Enice Toussaint

Translated for a new world to discover and praised in the Haitian communities for the honest portrayal of the biased relationship between men and women in her culture, Enice openly offers testament to the horrors Haitian women succumb to from childhood to marriage. Born into a prominent family, the death of her parents at the tender age of ten forces Enice into an adulthood few can imagine. Solace comes in the form of her sister's at the convent, where Enice finds a tiny spark of hope for a better life. When Tony, a controlling womanizer, asks for her hand in marriage, she must comply, further engaging a life of cultural difficulty she cannot escape. A move to Montreal offers new expectations along with the arrival of true love, but Enice must still break free of a past that cannot be forgotten in order to find personal freedom. Originally published by the author's publishing company, Les Editions Nouveau Siècle, the amazing account of Enice Toussaint's 'twelve lives' from Haiti to New York and Montreal delves into personal journals written from 1989 to 1999 and reveals the metamorphosis of one Haitian woman who dares to take control of life in a world of inequality.

242 pages, Perfect Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[African Americans on the Move Book Club · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rarely do we hear stories from the first republic ruled by people of African descent. Enice Toussaint gives us that perspective via a life of fornication, adultery, rape, love, and death. The twelve lives of Enice have only a trace of happiness. The death of Enice’s mother proved to be a traumatic event that Enice struggled with throughout the rest of her childhood and adulthood. The author’s vivid descriptions of her Haitian neighborhood, family, and friends were fabulous; I felt that I could see and she saw. I was also pleased that much of the meaning and emotion was not lost in translation as the book was originally written in French. Toussaint could have easily written 12 books; a book on each life. As with most of our life stories, she endured pain and pleasure, harvested perseverance, and lived to tell about it! I especially recommend this story of triumph to others from Caribbean or poor nations.



Natasha R. Hines
AAMBC Reviewer