#3030: Hati, la perle nue and Haiti Trivia (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From: Ingegerd N Petersen <inp.ry@ci.kk.dk>

"Haïti, la perle nue" is a great book which covers the not only the
ecology today, but also the historical perspective, starting with the
Arawak culture and the introduction of new plants to the country in
colonial times.  It covers ingeninous plants and animals, takes the
reader through the Hatian landscape, the reasons for and the
consequences of l'exode rurale, the restavek system, slums and
pollution, and has valuable facts in an appendix. The illustrations are
wonderful, and range from colour plates of fruit and vegetables from
colonial days, to photographs and Haitian art. Mimi Barthélémy, who is
Haitian and a  well-known storyteller in France, has contributed with
fine versions of Haitian folktales that relate to the different
subjects. There is even a Bouli et Malice-story.
I strongly recommend it, even to those of you who don't speak French,
just for the abundance of illustrations.

The website of Vents d'Ailleurs doesn't seem to work, but the fax # is
+(33) 04 4253 3097
e-mail: info@ventsdailleurs.com (the .com sounds strange, but try
anyway)

I would like to draw your attention to another small book, "Haiti
Trivia", by Marlène Rigaud Apollon.

It is an easy introduction to Haiti, and has small chapters about
geography, history, cities, important people, and "odds and ends". Each
chapter is followed by questions and answers. It is in trilingual,
English, kreyol, French. With the author's permission I have put the
"odds and ends" chapter on the website for French teachers in Denmark-
and their students. You can see the page at
http://www.fr.gymfag.dk/haitiweb and get an impression of the book. You
can get at http://www.educavision.com which is a bookstore specialized
in Haiti.


Ingegerd Nissen Petersen