A Wedding in Haiti

Julia Alvarez

$15.95

Publication Date: March 19th, 2013

Publisher:

Algonquin Books

ISBN:

9781616202804

Pages:

208

Description

“[A] beguiling memoir of family and culture.”—O, The Oprah Magazine

In a story that travels beyond borders and between families, acclaimed Dominican novelist and poet Julia Alvarez reflects on the joys and burdens of love—for her parents, for her husband, and for a young Haitian boy known as Piti. In this intimate true account of a promise kept, Alvarez takes us on a journey into experiences that challenge our way of thinking about history and how it can be reimagined when people from two countries—traditional enemies and strangers—become friends.

Julia Alvarez’s new novel, Afterlife, is available now.

About the Author

Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer in residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Praise for A Wedding in Haiti

AARP.com’s Best Books of 2012

Named one of the Top 10 Best Latino Authors for 2012 by TheLatinoAuthor.com

“She is the ideal travel companion—witty and observant and, as in all of Julia Alvarez’s writing, compassionate and full of heart. A Wedding In Haiti is a great experience and its unaffected prose is as true a portrait of complex Haiti as you will find.”
—Mark Kurlansky

“[A] beguiling memoir of family and culture.”—O, The Oprah Magazine

“A sudden promise leads an acclaimed author on the journey—and to the wedding—of a lifetime . . . [An] extraordinary story.”—Marie Claire

“An open-eyed view of Haiti before and after the earthquake . . . A Wedding in Haiti is Alvarez's view into the rural Haitian family life that never makes the news.”—The Associated Press

“Award-winning Dominican writer Julia Alvarez finally, sweetly, gets to know her sister country as she travels to a friend’s fete.”—Ebony

“Alvarez’s devotion, her admiration and hope, and most clearly, the love for her extended family, is palpable throughout.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“Heartbreaking and humorous, simple and elusive.” —Ms. Magazine blog

“A moving message about the nature of poverty, human love, and their opposites.”
—Examiner.com

“A glimpse into the heart of a complex country during a tumultuous time.”—National Geographic Traveler

“This beautiful memoir from Alvarez is a look at Haiti through an unlikely friendship . . . Wonderfully told.”—New York Post

“A memoir with the structure and impact of a novel . . . It is hopeful, folksy, sobering and graceful with good story-telling.”—Asheville Citizen-Times

“Touching, funny, eye-opening and uplifting.” —The Seattle Times

“A compelling account of friendship, loyalty and perseverance.”—Philadelphia Citypaper

“A deeply personal story of family and connection that casts a light on larger issues of global community and the need for unity, compassion, and understanding.”—Shelf Awareness, starred review

“Beautifully told and moving, Alvarez's memoir serves to introduce readers to all Haiti once was — and what it could be again.”—SheKnows.com

“Warm, funny and compassionate.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A moving homage to the Haitian people.” —Publishers Weekly

"[Alvarez's] unaffected prose and her warm and caring voice make this intimate introduction to a troubled country one many readers will savor."—Booklist