Afro-Caribbeans

With a couple of possible exceptions, the book’s main characters are all Afro-Caribbeans, with the elements of plot, theme, and dialogue all defined by various aspects of that particular ethno-cultural identity. While there is clearly a central character – that is, Ti-Jeanne – whose actions and experience are the narrative’s primary defining force, the fact that all the main characters (with the possible exception of Tony, and secondary characters like Josee) come from the same ethno-cultural background suggests that on some level, Ti-Jeanne’s personal story is not necessarily the main story – in other words, that her background and that of the characters who share that background is itself is a primary defining element linking and shaping all of the novel’s various elements.

More specifically, this sense of prioritizing and / or emphasizing the Afro-Caribbean experience infuses the book’s plot, which depends heavily upon spiritual aspects of...