The Colour of Dawn

by Yanick Lahens, Alison Layland (Translator)

In Port au Prince, Haiti, the police roam the streets and no one is safe. Fignolé, a musician and political radical, is missing. His sisters Joyeuse and Angelique search for their young brother amid the colorful bustle, urban deprivation, and political tension of the city; when they eventually locate him, they will have found more about themselves than they wanted to know. This story explores one day and three lives in a city where love is hard to find, life is cheap, and death is all too familiar. It is the tense, passionate, and vividly told story of small victories of hope in the face of a seemingly impossible fight against a monolithic regime.

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Yanick Lahens lives in Haiti. She was born in Port au Prince before moving to France where she was educated at the Sorbonne. Her writing is uncompromising in its portrayal of life in the Caribbean. She occupies a very particular position in Haitian literature, because of her independence of spirit as a writer and the authority she has gained from her engagement on the ground. Alongside Dany Laferrière and Lionel Trouillot she is one of Haiti’s most prominent authors. Professor of literature, she dedicates a large part of her time to a foundation set up to train young Haitians in sustainable development.

This novel was first published as La Coleur de l’aube by Sabine Wespieser Editeur, which won the RFO 2009 award, Prix littéraire Richelieu de la Francophonie 2009 
and Prix Millepages 2008. She also won the Leipzig Book Fair 2002 Literaturpreis. She has published another novel, Dans la maison du père (Le Serpent à plumes, 2000), and books of essays on place (particularly Haiti).

(from http://www.serenbooks.com/author/yani...)

Reviews

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book draws you into the harsh world of a Haiti you would probably rather not know about and certainly would not want to experience. Narrated by two very different sisters, Angélique and Joyeuse, it tells the story of the day their brother, Fignolé, fails to come home at night culminating in the discovery of what happened to him. There is little action but elaborate description of the slum environment and the different characters and their difficult lives. The one Western character, John, a young American journalist who pronounces that he loves the poor, is shown to be both superficial and ineffectual. Although this is a beautifully written novel, it bears a strong sense of depicting reality and provides a depressing picture of the country, offering no hope for a way out of the violence, corruption and pervasive poverty.

[Jennifer Stoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a bit formulaic and honestly, it was hard to tell which sister was speaking in which chapter sometimes, which is a problem considering Joyeuse and Angelique are so very different. Their mother was the most interesting character, and we sadly do not get much of her.

[Valérie Forgues · Rating 3 out of 5]

"J'affûte mes armes. J'aiguise mes crocs. J'ai cette force en moi. Qui sait affronter la douleur. Réduire le chagrin au silence. Je n'ai que faire de changer le monde. Je veux crier avec les loups. " (p. 134)

[aïcha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quel livre poignant ! La plume de l’autrice vous plonge dans les horreurs qui surplombent Haïti et ses habitants. Un récit on ne peut plus nécessaire à lire vu tout ce qui se passe sur cette planète à l’instant même où j’écris.

[Morefiiyaa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read- great translation and depiction of the colonial culture of colorism that is so dominant in Haitian culture.

[Fabrice Conchon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Formidable littérature haïtienne ! Je n'ai pu lu d’œuvres de ses maîtres les plus renommés (Dany Lafferière et Lyonel Trouillot) mais j'ai découvert, au hasard des recommandations, d'autres artistes de ce pays qui m'ont à chaque fois enchanté : Gary Victor, Jean-Claude Fignolé et donc Yanick Lahens.

La couleur de l'aube c'est l'histoire de deux sœurs qui vont rechercher pendant une journée leur frère qui n'est pas rentré à la maison la nuit précédente. Les deux sœurs sont de tempérament complètement différent : l'une, Angélique - la bien nommée - est une jeune mère de trente ans, résignée face à une vie misérable qui ne lui a pas fait de cadeaux et qui trouve le réconfort dans sa foi. L'autre, Joyeuse - la bien nommée aussi - est une écorchée vive, indépendante, bien décidée à mordre la vie à belles dents et qui ne s'en laisse pas compter. Ces deux femmes sont deux visages complémentaire de la misère de ce pays, des petites gens vivant dans les faubourgs de la capitale Port-aux-Princes.

Le système narratif du livre est formidable. D'abord, les deux héroïnes se partagent le récit dans la mesure où elle narrent un chapitre alternativement, les impairs pour Angélique, les pairs pour Joyeuse. Ensuite, la quête du frère disparu est en fait prétexte à de multiples retours en arrière où chacune raconte des épisodes de la vie quotidienne à Port-aux-Princes : leurs amours, le passé de leur famille, leur métier (infirmière pour Angélique, vendeuse pour Joyeuse), les virées avec les copines, la musique et aussi la relation au frère. Un livre court mais très dense et enlevé, en fait haletant.

Le style de Lahens est assez délectable. Un mélange d'exotisme avec ces mots créoles (expliqués dans un glossaire à la fin) qui ne ralentissent jamais la lecture et ce style poétique, ces multiples formules souvent imagées, toujours déchirantes pour exprimer la misère, le mal être, l'absence de perspectives d'avenir pour ces personnages.

Le livre est aussi l'occasion pour une plongée dans cette société haïtienne pleine de rites vaudous, à la corruption omniprésente et aussi au racisme au quotidien (la destinée de la petite servante Ti Louze "beaucoup plus noire que nous" - nous = les personnages principaux, noirs eux aussi - traitée comme une esclave "et qui devrait s'estimer heureuse d'avoir atterri chez nous" est particulièrement édifiante).

En grand et beau livre, une description poignante de la vie - je devrais dire de la survie - au jour le jour dans un pays depuis longtemps abandonné de ses dieux et de ses démons vaudous.

[Tonymess · Rating 3 out of 5]

On Monday Haitian writer Yanick Lahens was awarded the Prix Femina, by an all-female jury, for her 2000 work “Bain de lune”. Lahens currently lives in Haiti, born in Port au Prince she moved to France to study at the Sorbonne. As a Professor of Literature she dedicates a large part of her time to a foundation set up to train you Haitians in sustainable development. This novel was originally published as “La Coleur de l’aube” it won the RFO award in 2009, the Prix Millepages in 2008 and the Priz litteraire Richelieu de la Francophonie in 2009.

Published in 2013 by Seren Books, as part of their “discoveries” series, “The Colour of Dawn” has two narrators, sisters Angelique and Joyeuse. We start with Angelique Meracin waking to discover that her brother Fignole has not returned home, nor slept in his bed.




It’s precisely half past four…This moment, between darkness and light, is my favourite time. The time when my thoughts can turn freely to those who occupy this house, to all those whose whereabouts are lost to me, or who are too far away. The hour of my accumulated resentments, the hour of my numerous hatred, my expectations ranged before me, my hardships that are enough to make me cry with rage. Resentments, hatreds, hardships – I will soon have gathered them all, without exception, like a gaggle of chattering gossips. I carry inside myself so many other women, strangers who dog my footsteps, who live in my shadow, restless in my skin. Not one of them will be deaf to the call of this young woman, not yet thirty, on whom time has left its mark. A young woman struck down some years ago who pretends to carry on living as if nothing had happened.

For my full review go to http://messybooker.blogspot.com

[Purple Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimming through this for an article...

themes: sister/brother relationships, sexuality (repressed and otherwise), political conflict and violence, white journalist who loves poor people, male/female relationships, poverty, single mothers, youth.

Great descriptions of Port-au-Prince. I did not love the overall style, however. Should generate a good class discussion...