“Haiti, so close to our shores, and yet such a different culture. Author Elie Jerome has drilled down into the heart of this society and its people using an erotic romance to brilliantly tell the country's story. Life in Haiti is difficult and death lurks around every corner, delivered by both a not-so-loving Mother Nature and by dangerous criminal gangs. In the middle of all this--one young man attracted to a beautiful woman.” --G. Miki Hayden, author of Question Woman & Howling Sky and The Naked Writer
The writing here is effective and clear, and succeeds in capturing the essence of both Leito and the vividly rendered world he inhabits. ... This novel is original both in its storyline and its complex and detailed portrayal of Haiti and the lives of the Haitian people. Leito is a fascinating, complex character. --The BookLife Prize
Unplanned Destination
Elie Jerome
Elie Jerome, Publisher
www.eliejerome1.com
9780996551045 $15.99, www.amazon.com
Unplanned Destination is set in Haiti and, as such, incorporates many observations about Haitian culture that lend to a greater understanding of that world; including events surrounding the 2010 earthquake and its aftermath; one of the central happenings in the story.
Leito, the protagonist, observes his world in the first person as an earthquake hits and challenges his ability to not only stay alive, but to rescue others. Although his entire family has survived, this is only the beginning of a journey that began in 2007 which has led him to this point.
The next chapter uses the third person to describe an outbreak of violence that destroys a neighborhood and many families. People facing grief and horrible pain question the reason behind the seemingly random gunfire, which boils down to gangs and illicit activities.
"C'est la vie, (that's life)" the neighbor said before he sighed and patted Claude's shoulder." But is it? What refuge does innocence and youth have when violence is all but condoned by those who should be protecting the citizens of Haiti? "Houses built right next to houses, no road access in those slums, and lack of intel made handling that conflict an impossible task for an underpaid and unequipped police department. The cops took a step back and watched the two gangs kill each other. The cops felt there were no innocent victims here. The victims were all accomplices, either by implication or by not sharing information with the police."
As the undercurrents, influences, magic potions and weapons, and beliefs of Haiti's peoples swirl around victims and survivors alike, readers are drawn into a cultural environment that juxtaposes political and social strife with romance, evolving connections, and the destinies of very different individuals who strive to become something more than their surroundings.
Friendships and conflicts within them, shame, revenge and murder permeate a storyline where Leito, Ronald, Claude and others face their own encounters with destiny and the best and worst Haiti has to offer these young men. Do they live in paradise, or hell? What influences shape an assassin or a gang member, and what demons evolve from life's pressures and decisions, returning time and again to haunt the narrator? Are new beginnings truly possible?
Readers seeking a potent story packed with insights into Haitian culture and society will find Unplanned Destination relates a powerful journey that weaves its way from gang interactions and murder to magic, offering a realistic taste of the country's passions and pleasures that few stories can equal.
