{"product_id":"when-the-mapou-singsisbn-9781536235662","title":"When the Mapou Sings","description":"\u003cb\u003eInfused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream—a gift from the Mapou—tells Lucille to go to her village’s section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family’s at risk. \u003cbr\u003eForced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again—this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille’s new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become \u003ci\u003eTheir Eyes Were Watching God\u003c\/i\u003e, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about—and any chance of seeing her best friend again—as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.Written in stunning verse, \u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e—with its original premise, vivid setting, and compelling characters—will carve a permanent place in your heart.\u003cbr\u003e—Cordelia Jensen, author of Skyscraping\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLucille both flees home and searches for it, guided by mapou trees, butterflies, birds, and her own carvings of them, as if singing back their songs. Through lyrical language and sometimes harrowing scenes, I met complicated characters who introduced me to some of Haiti’s history and expanded my sense of the world.\u003cbr\u003e—Jeannine Atkins, author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSet against the backdrop of Haiti in the 1930s, \u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings \u003c\/i\u003etransports readers to the heart and mind of sixteen-year-old Lucille, forced to work in exile, away from her family, after standing up to oppressive local authorities. On a quest to reunite with her best friend, Lucille is derailed by her circumstances again and again but refuses to give up. Through incredibly rich historical details, Lucille’s story springs to life in gorgeous poetry that sings. Truly a book to savor.\u003cbr\u003e—Kip Wilson, author of White Rose and The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHaiti in the early 1930s is both backdrop and metaphor in this coming-of-age story of a courageous girl who must face danger, separation, and first love, all in the looming shadow of her beloved country’s uncertain—and dangerous—political future. Sixteen-year-old Lucille has been gifted with an ability to hear the prophetic spirits residing in Haiti’s mapou trees and to unlock the figures hidden within the bits of wood she carves. Speaking out against injustice and corruption, Lucille is forced to leave her family to take a series of domestic positions, presenting both obstacles and opportunities, all while she attempts to solve the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. For my part, I really appreciate how Lucille’s authentic first-person narration incorporates Haitian Creole. Written in a compelling voice with uncluttered, accessible verse, \u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e is a lovely blend of poetry, history, suspense, and magical realism, just the way I like it.\u003cbr\u003e—Allan Wolf, author of The Watch That Ends the Night\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith a tenderness born of deep understanding, Nadine Pinede takes her characters—and her readers—on a journey requiring great courage and wisdom. She offers both through the lively voice of Lucille, with the comforting accompaniment of the mapou tree.\u003cbr\u003e—Helen Frost, author of Hidden and Diamond Willow\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough dazzling free verse, Pinede brilliantly imagines a life for teenager Lucille, who assisted Zora Neale Hurston during her fateful months in 1930s Haiti. But here, Lucille is the main character, with soaring dreams, a love for her land, and the passion and commitment to protect those she loves and to change the world around her. Readers will be inspired by this remarkable protagonist and her story.\u003cbr\u003e—Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of Torch and Eyes Open\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1930s Haiti comes alive in this unique and richly imagined coming-of-age tale of a girl finding her way in a country on the brink of change. Pinede’s debut is poignant, searing, and timely.\u003cbr\u003e—Stacey Lee, New York Times best-selling author of Reese’s Book Club pick The Downstairs Girl\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e is stunning in every sense of the word. Lucille, the book’s young protagonist, captivated me from the very first page and never let me go. She is righteous, passionate, courageous, and wise beyond her years. Like Zora Neale Hurston, whom she winds up working for through a series of unexpected events, Lucille is an independent thinker and a force to be reckoned with. The two, at first wary of each other, form a deep bond that changes both their lives forever. And all this is told in gorgeously written verse that at times literally took my breath away. This is a beautiful book.\u003cbr\u003e—Lesléa Newman, author of October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e is steeped in love, courage, and longing. Nadine Pinede is a wonder.\u003cbr\u003e—Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI felt Lucille’s passion and power through every poem—her love for the mapou, which gives her courage and comfort, and her fierce dedication to discovering what’s become of her beloved Fifina. With lyricism that sings, Nadine Pinede’s writing takes the reader on a journey of what it means to stand up and speak your truth even when the consequences are grave.\u003cbr\u003e—Tami Charles, author of the New York Times best seller All Because You Matter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePinede has gifted us a rare glimpse into an island nation brimming with hope, resilience, and beauty. With lush verse that brings 1930s Haiti to life, a young heroine, Lucille, embarks on a journey to find her true gifts while helping shape a vital part of American literary history. \u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e is a stunning tribute to Haitian girlhood, history, and culture and an homage to some of our greatest American icons.\u003cbr\u003e—Ibi Zoboi, National Book Award Finalist and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhen the Mapou Sings\u003c\/i\u003e is a stunning revelation. An exquisite novel in verse, it is also a mesmerizing history lesson, a praise song, a love letter to Haiti, Lucille, Zora Neale Hurston, and the cultural and historical ties that bind Haitians and African American icons, dreamers, and creators.\u003cbr\u003e—Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePinede’s beautifully written debut sharply observes class divisions and encourages readers to ask critical questions about dignity. . . .The well-drawn characters, strong dialogue, and surprising twists add depth. A rich, lyrical story that shows the high cost young women pay for daring to dream of a better life.\u003cbr\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003cb\u003eNadine Pinede\u003c\/b\u003e is the daughter of Haitian exiles from the Duvalier dictatorship. She created her own interdisciplinary major at Harvard and then continued on to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. She also has an MFA in fiction and poetry and holds a PhD from Indiana University.\u003cb\u003eManman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My birth\u003cbr\u003e brought your death\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e your blood\u003cbr\u003e a lavalas\u003cbr\u003e in rainy season.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Papa buried the placenta\u003cbr\u003e with orange seeds\u003cbr\u003e and watered them\u003cbr\u003e with tears.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Papa told me\u003cbr\u003e you were a Mother Tree\u003cbr\u003e and your great-grandmother\u003cbr\u003e was a princess,\u003cbr\u003e from the first people\u003cbr\u003e who named us\u003cbr\u003e Ayiti,\u003cbr\u003e the Land of Mountains.\u003cbr\u003e She fell in love with a mawon,\u003cbr\u003e a runaway who hid in caves\u003cbr\u003e and climbed mountains\u003cbr\u003e to freedom,\u003cbr\u003e then returned with his princess\u003cbr\u003e to fight the French.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Papa does his best\u003cbr\u003e       to hide\u003cbr\u003e the ashes\u003cbr\u003e in his heart.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He makes tables, chairs,\u003cbr\u003e cedar coffins\u003cbr\u003e to sell in his shop.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Your older sister, Tante Lila,\u003cbr\u003e never married.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She moved in with us.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When she braids my hair\u003cbr\u003e it’s always too tight.\u003cbr\u003e The dresses she sews\u003cbr\u003e hang loose on my body,\u003cbr\u003e as thin as a gazelle.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Whatever she cooks\u003cbr\u003e always needs salt.\u003cbr\u003e Not like Cousin Phebus,\u003cbr\u003e whose food\u003cbr\u003e makes our tongues dance.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tante Lila prays the rosary\u003cbr\u003e every day,\u003cbr\u003e scolds me\u003cbr\u003e when I climb\u003cbr\u003e my favorite mapou,\u003cbr\u003e the sacred tree.\u003cbr\u003e      So I keep\u003cbr\u003e      our secret.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      How in the forest\u003cbr\u003e      when I touch the trees—\u003cbr\u003e      barks grainy, knotted,\u003cbr\u003e      or peeled slick smooth—\u003cbr\u003e    \u003cbr\u003e      I see shapes in the wood\u003cbr\u003e      calling me to carve them.\u003cbr\u003e      I feel the heartbeat of their roots\u003cbr\u003e      pulse through my bare feet.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      The trees sing to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      Inside each one\u003cbr\u003e      of them\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      a tiny spark\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      of\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e      you.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e PART ONE\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e LAKAY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eFriendliness and Understanding\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e August 15, 1934\u003cbr\u003e Hinche, Haiti\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eStatement from the Secretary of State:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e In the nearly twenty years during which our marine and naval forces have been stationed in Haiti they have rendered invaluable, disinterested service to the Haitian Government and the people. At this present moment they are withdrawing from the island in an atmosphere of great friendliness and the best of understanding. We wish for the Government and people of Haiti stability, progress and all success.\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen the section chief\u003cbr\u003e finishes reading to us,\u003cbr\u003e gathered in the muggy heat,\u003cbr\u003e no one says a word.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Was he expecting applause?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They say the section chief—\u003cbr\u003e at first respected,\u003cbr\u003e now detested—\u003cbr\u003e helped sòlda Ameriken yo\u003cbr\u003e kill Caco resisters\u003cbr\u003e steal our land\u003cbr\u003e and force us like slaves\u003cbr\u003e to build roads.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Friendliness and understanding? Hmph.”\u003cbr\u003e The air is thick\u003cbr\u003e with resentment \u003cbr\u003e and relief.\u003cbr\u003e Surely things will be better now.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e For the first time in my fourteen years,\u003cbr\u003e I see the Haitian flag raised\u003cbr\u003e from its lower position at half-mast,\u003cbr\u003e and the drapo Ameriken an,\u003cbr\u003e always higher till now,\u003cbr\u003e lowered, folded,\u003cbr\u003e and taken away.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eMy Friend Fifina\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I’ll never forget\u003cbr\u003e the first time I saw her\u003cbr\u003e when the school year started.\u003cbr\u003e In the courtyard        of the Mission School\u003cbr\u003e I sat                               apart from the others\u003cbr\u003e drawing a bird\u003cbr\u003e in red earth with a twig\u003cbr\u003e from Mapou.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “That’s beautiful.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her voice arrived first,\u003cbr\u003e warm honey and butter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I looked up and saw skin\u003cbr\u003e the color of glowing dark walnut\u003cbr\u003e her soft cheve swa\u003cbr\u003e a silky braid down her back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A marabou,\u003cbr\u003e those we consider\u003cbr\u003e the most beautiful.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I’m Fifina.”\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e I stood up, wiped my hands\u003cbr\u003e on my skirt.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I’m Lucille.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We walked back to the classroom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e inside me\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e a sunrise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eTrust\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the Bassin Zim waterfall,\u003cbr\u003e where Papa taught me to swim\u003cbr\u003e in the rivière Samana\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e and dive in underwater caves,\u003cbr\u003e the light-jeweled water\u003cbr\u003e caresses the cliff.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I teach Fifina to swim,\u003cbr\u003e first holding her\u003cbr\u003e as she floats on her back\u003cbr\u003e her black hair fanning out\u003cbr\u003e like angel wings.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When I sense\u003cbr\u003e her body relax,\u003cbr\u003e trust the water,\u003cbr\u003e I let go.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eListen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fifina and I perch\u003cbr\u003e high like birds\u003cbr\u003e on Mapou’s branches\u003cbr\u003e for hours.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I press my ear\u003cbr\u003e against the side stripes\u003cbr\u003e of Mapou’s bark,\u003cbr\u003e Fifina next to me.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Don’t you hear anything?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Her mouth\u003cbr\u003e rises in a smile,\u003cbr\u003e but she\u003cbr\u003e never laughs at me\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e never makes me feel\u003cbr\u003e my head’s not on straight\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e never says\u003cbr\u003e that I look like a boy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I don’t hear anything,”\u003cbr\u003e says Fifina.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “If I told you\u003cbr\u003e Mapou sings to me,\u003cbr\u003e what would you think?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I’d think you’re lucky!\u003cbr\u003e Tell me what you hear,”\u003cbr\u003e she says.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I hear a woman’s voice singing,\u003cbr\u003e and when I close my eyes,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e behind my eyelids\u003cbr\u003e I see flashing lights,\u003cbr\u003e like bird wings\u003cbr\u003e fluttering in the sun.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “It doesn’t make sense\u003cbr\u003e until I fall asleep.\u003cbr\u003e Then they all come together\u003cbr\u003e in my dreams. I used to\u003cbr\u003e try and draw them,\u003cbr\u003e but now I want to carve,\u003cbr\u003e like Papa.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Fifina holds my hand\u003cbr\u003e and squeezes it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “You have a gift.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Promise you won’t tell anyone?”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “I promise.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That makes me smile,\u003cbr\u003e our secret to keep.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Our feet swing free\u003cbr\u003e from Mapou’s branches.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We talk of what\u003cbr\u003e shape our lives will be\u003cbr\u003e when we start our own school\u003cbr\u003e where girls will learn\u003cbr\u003e more than we do at the Mission School.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e We’ll make our own book,\u003cbr\u003e with her mother’s leaf-medicine recipes\u003cbr\u003e and my drawings of the plants.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e We’ll teach girls how to carve, sew, draw, climb trees.\u003cbr\u003e We’ll teach girls the songs of trees, flowers, birds, butterflies,\u003cbr\u003e the sun, moon, mountains, clouds.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Mapou listens\u003cbr\u003e to our dreams\u003cbr\u003e falling like gentle rain\u003cbr\u003e on her leaves.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e When it’s time to go home\u003cbr\u003e we climb down           carefully\u003cbr\u003e Mapou’s branch in my hand\u003cbr\u003e to chase away\u003cbr\u003e snakes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Each mapou\u003cbr\u003e is special,\u003cbr\u003e a resting place\u003cbr\u003e reposwa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e for the ones before us\u003cbr\u003e still with us,\u003cbr\u003e ever since our land\u003cbr\u003e born from fire\u003cbr\u003e stood up high from the sea\u003cbr\u003e to make mountains\u003cbr\u003e behind mountains.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Those who serve the spirits\u003cbr\u003e say they know exactly\u003cbr\u003e what makes mapou trees sacred.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “Trees are God’s creation,\u003cbr\u003e but He made them mute,”\u003cbr\u003e says Sister Gilberte\u003cbr\u003e when I tell her\u003cbr\u003e about my Mapou.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “The Church or the spirits,\u003cbr\u003e you can’t serve them both.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e To stay in school,\u003cbr\u003e I keep my silence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Still,\u003cbr\u003e Mapou sings to me.","brand":"Candlewick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304902349029,"sku":"NP9781536235662","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781536235661_797c4a0a-d6bd-4e09-95d8-7499219c6139.jpg?v=1730758793","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/when-the-mapou-singsisbn-9781536235662","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}