The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Chancey, Myriam J. A. What Storm, What Thunder. Tin House, 2021.

Myriam J. A. Chancey's novel What Storm, What Thunder is written from a network of first and third person points of view. The author also employs both the past and present tenses, distorting traditional notions of plot and structure. These unconventional formal patterns enact the author's thematic interests in loss, destruction, and rebirth. The following summary relies upon the present tense, and details each character's section in a largely linear manner.

In "Ma Lou," elderly market woman Ma Lou has lived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti for her entire life. The city is her home and community. Though she has been married and had a child, her husband is dead and her son, Richard, is estranged. When she learns that Richard impregnated a teenage girl and abandoned her, Ma Lou establishes a connection with the child Anne's family. She and Anne grow a relationship over the years.

On January 12, 2010, Ma Lou is working at the marketplace when an earthquake strikes. She realizes that her community needs her help to survive the disaster. In the months and years following, Ma Lou searches for new meaning and purpose. She was raised Catholic, but has lost her faith in the Christian God. She wonders if she should turn to her late husband and mother's gods for renewed hope.

In "Sara," Sara is married to the love of her life Olivier, with whom she has three beautiful children. Though her life is simple, she feels profound happiness. Her children have given her a poignant sense of purpose and joy. On the morning of January 12, 2010, she is helping her daughters prepare for school. Her son, Jonas, is running an errand at the market, from which she hopes he will return on time. Shortly after the girls leave for school, the earthquake happens. The girls are crushed beneath the neighbors' house. In the days following, she tries to nurse her injured son back to health. His suffering is so profound that Olivier abandons the family. Afterwards, Sara cannot bear her loneliness. Jonas's death launches her even deeper into grief. She feels comforted when her children's ghosts start visiting her.

In "Sonia," Sonia leaves home as a teenager and starts working as a prostitute. She hopes that the money will eventually grant her an exit from Port-au-Prince for good. When the earthquake hits, she is working in a local hotel. She flees the place just in time, and manages to survive.

In "Richard," Richard returns to Port-au-Prince after years away. His wife's recent decision to leave him has left him feeling confused and powerless. He uses his estranged daughter Anne's mother's death as an excuse to get out of France. In Port-au-Prince, he realizes that he has no interest in reconnecting with Anne or Ma Lou. Basking in his recent business success, he has an impulse to swim in the ocean. While in the water, he realizes that he must change. Then the earthquake strikes, causing a tsunami. The sea swallows Richard.

In "Leopold," Leopold rides a local Port-au-Prince hotel elevator and muses on his lust for Sonia. He knows she is a prostitute but has no interest in buying her affection. Suddenly the earthquake shakes and crashes the elevator, trapping Leopold inside. For several days, Leopold waits for someone to rescue him. He reflects on his life and realizes he must change. Suddenly he is delivered.

In "Taffia," at 15, Taffia's primary concerns are her appearance, her friends, and her favorite telenovelas. When the earthquake destroys her home and reality, she is thrust into adulthood. She cannot believe how recently she was so naïve and careless. Then one night, a gang of violent boys rapes her. When she realizes she is pregnant, she tries starving the baby, but the baby survives.

In "Didier," Didier leaves Port-au-Prince to start a new life in Boston, Massachusetts. He has trouble acclimating to the new culture. A year into his stay, he searches for something new to believe in. Then, on January 12, 2010, while driving a college girl home, he hears about the earthquake. He cannot contact his family, and is powerless to help.

In "Olivier," in the wake of the earthquake, Olivier abandons his wife, Sara, and son, Jonas, for Camp Cocasse. He convinces himself that securing work and making money will help him recreate a life for his family. However, Olivier knows that he is lying to himself. He left because he knew his son would die and doubted that he and Sara would survive the loss.

In "Anne," Anne is living and working in Kigali, Rwanda when she learns about the Haitian earthquake. In the weeks following, she struggles to process her loss. She soon realizes that her community needs her and travels back to Port-au-Prince. She works for two years in an IDP camp.

In "Jonas," Jonas's ghost describes all of the things he associates with the number 12. He remembers his mother, father, and sisters. He remembers his hometown. He continues visiting his mother as a ghost, hoping to remind her of his love for her.

In "Ma Lou," Ma Lou invites Anne, Taffia, and Sara to accompany her to Saut D'eau. She wants to cleanse and bury her family's bones in the waterfalls. She also thinks the trip will grant her and her friends healing and renewal.