Waiting for the waters to rise

Maryse Condé

Book - 2021

"Babakar is a doctor living alone, with only the memories of his childhood in Mali. In his dreams, he receives visits from his blue-eyed mother and his ex-lover Azelia, both now gone, as are the hopes and aspirations he's carried with him since his arrival in Guadeloupe. Until, one day, the child Anaïs comes into his life, forcing him to abandon his solitude."--Back cover

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Subjects
Genres
Domestic fiction
Published
New York : World Editions 2021.
Language
English
French
Main Author
Maryse Condé (author)
Other Authors
Richard Philcox (translator)
Item Description
First published as "En attendant la montée des eaux" in France in 2010 by JC Lattés. --Title page verso.
Physical Description
282 pages ; 22 cm
ISBN
9781642860733
9781912987153
Contents unavailable.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

Condé's intense latest (after The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana) follows a Malian obstetrician living in the French department of Guadeloupe whose life is upended when he learns an undocumented Haitian immigrant has died during labor, leaving behind an infant girl. Dr. Babakar Traoré Jr., long plagued by the memories of those he's lost--including his mother and his wife--adopts Reinette Ovide's child and names her Anaïs, regarding her as "the newfound spring that will irrigate my arid existence." But Babakar soon discovers Reinette's dying wish was for her daughter to grow up in Haiti, where Reinette's sister, Estrella, still lives. Disheartened but determined to honor Reinette's wish, Babakar sets out for Haiti. There, while accompanied by Reinette's Haitian ex-lover Movar and mysterious hotel owner Fouad, he bears witness to the ravaging cycles of violence and prejudice that have long fractured the Caribbean nation. Condé puts forth the secrets and histories of a fascinating cast, producing a timeless exploration of the wounds that emerge--and linger--when people lose those who mean the most to them, be it their family, friends, or country. This faithful portrayal of grief and displacement is tough to forget. (Aug.)

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