"A heartbreaking tale of regret and resilience, and a fiery rebuke of racism, violence and greed."— TIME
"A stunning commentary on racism, sexual violence, capitalism and the resilience required to rebuild a life."— The Washington Post
"A gorgeous, intimate voice. . . . A reminder of the extraordinary resilience, then as now, of the Haitian people."— People Magazine
"Searing. . . . Chancy’s fictional portrait of the survivors and victims is both ode and elegy."— Oprah Daily
"Not since W. G. Sebald has somebody succeeded in evoking such a rich
sense of the history of disaster. . . . She has unimpeachable
credibility—and a clear purpose: People do persist, not merely suffer."— NPR Books
"Written by a Haitian Canadian American author, this novel paints
Haiti’s 2010 earthquake and its aftermath through 10 points of view,
from a wealthy water executive to an architect returning from Rwanda to
deal with the earthquake’s aftermath."— The New York Times Book Review
"Incredibly powerful."— BuzzFeed
"Many of us are hungry for stories of survival and resilience in this precarious world where the for-grantedness of life is fractured. This book delivers."— The San Francisco Chronicle
"An elegiac and moving portrait of Haitians as they experienced the devastating 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince, this novel offers an ensemble of resilient, hopeful characters, haunted by those they mourn, but faithful for a better future."— The Boston Globe
"This is fiction as an act of bearing witness. . . .Chancy’s lush
prose engages shifting and intersecting points of view that reflect the
contours of an island nation borne of anti-colonial rebellion."— Vulture
"Unmissable."— Harper's Bazaar
"Chancy promises to illuminate the lives of people who in America are often fleeting visions on 24-hour news channels, noticed only when disaster happens."— The Chicago Tribune
"Compelling. . . . Chancy
offers her readers the rare opportunity to view the earthquake’s
aftermath from multiple angles, with every shadow of doubt, every
glimmer of hope, illuminating the ever-expanding history of the
catastrophe and its devastation."— BOMB Magazine
"Unforgettable."— New York Public Library
"Masterfully written and unforgettable."— Chicago Public Library
"Enchanting in its complexity, inviting but also deeply haunting."— The Rumpus
"Fascinating. . . . intimately written in such a way that you feel it."— NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour
"Remarkable. . . . Every element of the writing and characterization delivers a poignant experience."— Booklist
"Devastating. . . . Extraordinary."— Alma
"Heartbreaking and haunting, this exploration of life in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, after it’s hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake is sure to stay with you."— Ms. Magazine
"A really beautiful, incredibly powerful portrait of a community."— Boston.com
"Powerful and compelling."— Largehearted Boy
"This novel, narrated by a cast of courageous and compelling characters, resonates with hope and resilience."— BookBrowse
"Lending her voice to ten survivors whose lives were indelibly altered by the January 12, 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Myriam J. A. Chancy’s sublime choral novel not only describes what it was like for her characters before, during, and after that heartrending day, she also powerfully guides us towards further reflection and healing."— Edwidge Danticat, author of Everything Inside
"A beautiful, haunting chorus of voices. This is a heartbreaking book, a striking achievement."— Zinzi Clemmons, author of What We Lose
"A gorgeous and compulsively readable page-turner in the most haunting and stunning prose. If you love the works of Jesmyn Ward, Edwidge Danticat, and J. M. Coetzee, this is the book for you! Absolutely breathtaking!"— Angie Cruz, author of Dominicana
"Myriam J. A. Chancy is a masterful writer. The book is devastating and tender, but it is not a spectacle of sadness—it is a show of humanity and care in the midst of great violence."— José Olivarez, author of Citizen Illegal
"An affecting and immersive—an important—book."— Dan Vyleta, Scotiabank Giller Prize-shortlisted author of The Crooked Maid, Smoke and Soot
"One of the finest examples of someone writing from a place of deep love and deep grief simultaneously—the story itself is wondrous and very, very human."— Omar El Akkad CBC.COM
"Virtuosic."— The Globe and Mail
"Riveting."— Haitian Times
"Beautiful and breathtaking."— Asterix Journal
"Weaves together stories that will both break your heart and highlight the resilience of survivors."— The Mary Sue
"Deeply haunting."— SheReads
"Poignant."— Poets & Writers
"Masterful."— Black Book Stacks
"A must-read. . . . a singular story of strength, sorrow, heartbreak, and love."— Apartment Therapy
"A plaintive and beautiful love song to Haiti."— New Books Network
"What Storm, What Thunder is a beautiful book. . . . Myriam's novel makes what was lost when the earth opened up so clear."— Read More Podcast
"The voices are weaved together effortlessly, each more mesmerizing than the last."— Louisa Ermellino Publishers Weekly
"Extraordinary. . . . lyrical. . . . dazzling. . . . Each of the voices entrances, thanks to Chancy’s beautiful prose and rich themes. This is not to be missed."— Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Unforgettable. . . . a devastating, personal and vital account."— Kirkus, Starred Review
"
A soaring, heartbreaking symphony.
"— Library Journal, Starred Review
★ 2021-07-14
Survivors and victims tell their powerful, moving stories in this fictional account of the 2010 Haitian earthquake.
On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck the island of Hispaniola, changing the face of Haiti forever. Between 250,000 and 300,000 people are estimated to have perished, many of them in the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince, while 1.5 million others were left homeless. In her searing new novel, Chancy, who spent years talking to survivors, sifts through the wreckage of this inconceivable calamity. She has shaped the stories of the living and the dead into a mighty fictional tapestry that reflects the terror, despair, and sorrow of the moment as she examines questions of Haitian identity in a world that doesn’t seem to care. Among her unforgettable characters are a desperate husband who abandons his grief-stricken wife in a sprawling, dangerous tent city; a sex worker who steps out of a hotel moments before it collapses; a drug trafficker trapped in an elevator who begins to reassess his life; a wealthy businessman who left Haiti and has returned to make a deal at the worst possible moment; a teenage girl terrorized by a former classmate in the refugee camp; a Haitian cab driver in Boston who has discovered religion and the perils of being Black in America; and an architect who returns home from Rwanda, where she'd been working for an NGO, only to find herself stymied by bureaucracy and unable to help anyone. The thread that connects these voices is Ma Lou, a market woman who has witnessed the tides of fortune in Port-au-Prince for decades and who holds no illusions about the future. The stories are not always easy to read, but they shouldn’t be. Chancy offers fleeting redemption for some characters, but she does not deal in false hopes. “We all look away unless it’s us, or someone we love, going up in flames,” one character muses. In this devastating work, Chancy refuses to let any of us look away.
A devastating, personal, and vital account.
