The Farming of Bones

The Farming of Bones follows Amabelle, a young Haitian woman working as a servant in the Dominican Republic during the 1930s. Set against the backdrop of rising tensions between Haitians and Dominicans, the narrative takes place in a sugar cane-dependent economy where Haitian laborers provide essential workforce. The story unfolds in 1937, when Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo's regime initiates a violent campaign against Haitian workers and residents. Amabelle must navigate an increasingly hostile environment as she attempts to survive the historical event known as the Parsley Massacre, which claimed thousands of Haitian lives. The novel draws from real historical events and explores themes of identity, memory, and survival in the face of systematic violence. Through its focus on individual lives caught in larger political forces, the book examines the human cost of nationalism and ethnic persecution.

Readers praise Danticat's poetic prose and her ability to illuminate the 1937 Haitian massacre through intimate character relationships. Many note the book helps them understand a historical event they knew little about. What readers liked: - Lyrical writing style - Educational value about Haitian-Dominican relations - Character development of Amabelle - Vivid sensory details and imagery What readers disliked: - Slow pacing in first third of book - Difficulty following multiple characters - Some found the writing style too dreamlike/abstract - Abrupt transitions between past and present Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (16,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (280+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "The prose reads like poetry but the subject matter hits like a punch to the gut" -Goodreads reviewer "Takes time to get into but worth pushing through for the powerful second half" -Amazon reviewer "Made me research more about this overlooked piece of Caribbean history" -LibraryThing reviewer

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🔸 The novel is based on the real-life 1937 Parsley Massacre, during which Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo ordered the killing of thousands of Haitians living near the border - victims were identified by their pronunciation of the Spanish word "perejil" (parsley). 🔸 Author Edwidge Danticat wrote this book at age 25, drawing inspiration from her own family's experiences as Haitian immigrants and stories passed down through generations about the massacre. 🔸 The sugar cane industry that forms the backdrop of the novel was historically one of the main reasons for Haitian migration to the Dominican Republic, with workers often facing dangerous conditions and earning about 30 cents per day in the 1930s. 🔸 The novel won the American Book Award in 1999 and established Danticat as one of the most important Caribbean voices in contemporary literature. 🔸 The border region between Haiti and Dominican Republic, where the story takes place, was once so integrated that many families lived with one foot in each country, speaking both languages and sharing cultural traditions - until the massacre changed everything.