Duels

A gripping tale of education, violence, and hope, in which one man’s dream for a better future collides with a community on the edge of transformation.

Set in 1842, this novel foregrounds a Haiti that is grappling with the weight of an onerous debt imposed by France, forcing its citizens to pay reparations to French colonists in exchange for diplomatic recognition of the first Black republic of the Americas. In the town of Boën, a prosperous notary, Ludovic Possible, decides to take a bold step to secure the future of his community. He opens a schoolhouse where local children can learn both artisanal skills and the essential ability to read and write. For Ludovic, education represents the best chance for the people of Boën to rise above their hardships and build a prosperous future--especially for Aïda, a quiet and enigmatic girl whose mother’s marvelous stories captivate him.

The tranquility of Boën is soon shattered, however, by a series of duels that pit families, neighbors, and even animals against each other. As tensions rise, Ludovic’s vision for a better future is threatened by the escalating violence. In Duels, Néhémy Pierre-Dahomey introduces readers to a rich and unforgettable cast of characters--Aïda, Ludovic, Balthazar Possible, Pépé the Tempest, and many others--who find themselves at the crossroads of a nation on the brink of transformative change.

Néhémy Pierre-Dahomey, born in Port-au-Prince, is a writer, poet, and philosopher based in Paris. He is the author of Mots épars, Emmuré, Rapatriés, and Combats, the original French edition of Duels. Nathan H. Dize is assistant professor of French at Washington University in Saint Louis and a translator and scholar of French Caribbean literature.