New York

New York is where a sizable population of Haitian immigrants have settled to start their lives anew. It is a big and bustling city. The Haitian immigrants recognize New York as being part of America, which means the promise of a new and better future. New York is where people like Beatrice live their lives as they truly want to, or where people like Ka’s father try to escape their past. It is where Freda finds the courage to go back to Haiti to fight the government and where Dany finds the strength not to seek revenge.

Haiti

Haiti is the home country of the vast majority of characters in the novel. Its landscape is beautiful, but it is a place torn apart by political unrest, violence, and cruelty. Dictators, murderers, and mobs make life in Haiti difficult. There are no clear-cut lines between good and...