Spoilers!
I bought this novel after having read in a blog how few women SF writers had been read or recognised. As a former boxer, I made the very classic and pathetic mistake of being seduced by the title before reading the summary. *though I did love that the main spiritual trickster of our novel is called affectionately Jab-Jab. Only once I finished the book did I also discover it is a classic Boney M song. We learn everyday. Doux-doux has now become my favourite nickname.
This is Nalo's first novel, written in 1998. And I must admit, I was impressed. The self-identified queer Jamaican born authoress is impressive in her command of the Jamaican mythology and the lingo our main characters use to after or before reverting to their 'English' all easily immerse you into a post-apocalyptic Toronto. Again, I was rusty on the narrational edges and it took me about 20 pages to set the scene in my head. The story is centred around Ti-Jeanne, a newly made mother, who sees visions of how people will die and lives with Gros-Jeane/mami, her herbalist, healer gran-ma. By far, the strength of the novel is the subtle description of the relationship between the two characters and the tough-loving, rough strong woman who Ti-Jeanne loves and is afraid of. Most of the novel describes Ti-Jeanne's development beginning our story a frightened of the spirits and power she hardly controls, resentful of her baby (mistreating it at time) and obsessed with Tony, the baby's father though she walked off on him for his drug habit.
Though poetic, our Ti-Jeanne is selfish, and angry and petty at times and I love Nalo for having given us an unflinching gaze at a flawed main character. Tony, good for nothing, must find a heart for a corrupt politician who has commissioned the gang leader of our dystopic city with finding a donor. Ti-Jeanne is at the centre of this intrigue as Tony ends up killing her mami to provide the gang leader with a heart, who ends up being Ti-Jeanne's evil granpa, who manipulated his own daughter, Ti-Jeanne's ma, to do his evil biddings. The scenes described of magic rituals and death are brilliantly terrifying and I was reminded of Mieville's capacity to instill fear in his readers by giving them a mirror to their unknown worst nightmare.
Two downsides noted (mainly by my Kiwi, but that I agree with wholeheartedly). There are no redeeming or in depth male characters. Nalo reserves her insightful character building for the women, from the insane mother to the leader of a gang of children fending for themselves in the anarchic city. Nalo only touched on - and left us begging for more - some of the fascinating aspects of the various spirits that come all together at the epic climax of the book, the final battle scene if you will, where Ti-Jeanne summons all the spirits at her aid. It gave us a taste of a Jamaican style American Gods. So so so much could have been weaved in the novel and I felt a little disappointed that I was not given more. It underlined how little SF has delivered in terms of Caribbean mythology and I hope this book will be one amongst many others to open this much needed Pandora box.
All in all though, I devoured the book in 2 days and my Kiwi read it in one go in a car trip.
I bought this novel after having read in a blog how few women SF writers had been read or recognised. As a former boxer, I made the very classic and pathetic mistake of being seduced by the title before reading the summary. *though I did love that the main spiritual trickster of our novel is called affectionately Jab-Jab. Only once I finished the book did I also discover it is a classic Boney M song. We learn everyday. Doux-doux has now become my favourite nickname.
This is Nalo's first novel, written in 1998. And I must admit, I was impressed. The self-identified queer Jamaican born authoress is impressive in her command of the Jamaican mythology and the lingo our main characters use to after or before reverting to their 'English' all easily immerse you into a post-apocalyptic Toronto. Again, I was rusty on the narrational edges and it took me about 20 pages to set the scene in my head. The story is centred around Ti-Jeanne, a newly made mother, who sees visions of how people will die and lives with Gros-Jeane/mami, her herbalist, healer gran-ma. By far, the strength of the novel is the subtle description of the relationship between the two characters and the tough-loving, rough strong woman who Ti-Jeanne loves and is afraid of. Most of the novel describes Ti-Jeanne's development beginning our story a frightened of the spirits and power she hardly controls, resentful of her baby (mistreating it at time) and obsessed with Tony, the baby's father though she walked off on him for his drug habit.
Tony could give sweet, sweet talk. Words so nice, they would charm the money from your pocket, the caution from your heart, the clothes from your body. Words so sweet and soothing, they sounded like love, like let me hold you the way your mama never held you, like come and be my only special one, my doux-doux darling. Words that promised heaven.
Though poetic, our Ti-Jeanne is selfish, and angry and petty at times and I love Nalo for having given us an unflinching gaze at a flawed main character. Tony, good for nothing, must find a heart for a corrupt politician who has commissioned the gang leader of our dystopic city with finding a donor. Ti-Jeanne is at the centre of this intrigue as Tony ends up killing her mami to provide the gang leader with a heart, who ends up being Ti-Jeanne's evil granpa, who manipulated his own daughter, Ti-Jeanne's ma, to do his evil biddings. The scenes described of magic rituals and death are brilliantly terrifying and I was reminded of Mieville's capacity to instill fear in his readers by giving them a mirror to their unknown worst nightmare.
“But doux-doux”, Prince of Cemetery said, “Your granddaughter head full of spirits already; she ain't tell you? All kind of duppy and thing.When she close she eyes, she does see death. She belong to me. She is my daughter. You should 'fraid of she.”
Two downsides noted (mainly by my Kiwi, but that I agree with wholeheartedly). There are no redeeming or in depth male characters. Nalo reserves her insightful character building for the women, from the insane mother to the leader of a gang of children fending for themselves in the anarchic city. Nalo only touched on - and left us begging for more - some of the fascinating aspects of the various spirits that come all together at the epic climax of the book, the final battle scene if you will, where Ti-Jeanne summons all the spirits at her aid. It gave us a taste of a Jamaican style American Gods. So so so much could have been weaved in the novel and I felt a little disappointed that I was not given more. It underlined how little SF has delivered in terms of Caribbean mythology and I hope this book will be one amongst many others to open this much needed Pandora box.
All in all though, I devoured the book in 2 days and my Kiwi read it in one go in a car trip.
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