With the recent earthquake in Haiti and the international outpouring of relief efforts it is somewhat shocking that many Americans know very little about a nation that is one of our closest neighbors. The following books might shed some insight into a country that has been thrust into the international spotlight:
Brother I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat. A powerful family saga/memoir about growing up in Haiti and emigrating to America.
All Souls' Rising by Madison Smart Bell. A critically acclaimed novel of historical fiction about the slave uprising that brought independence to Haiti.
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Q
uest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder. A nonfiction work that details one doctor's struggles to stop the spread of infectious disease and to combat the dangerous effects of poverty in Haiti.