Review: “What Storm, What Thunder” by Miriam JA Chance

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake that killed between 250,000 and 300,000 people and displaced more than a million people. Canadian-American Haitian writer Myriam J.A. Chance wanted to write something that explained how the disaster destroyed or disrupted lives. The result is “What Storm, What Thunder,” a masterful novel with immense power and a rare sensitivity that keeps us in a firm grip until the last page.

The book is a type of choral piece made up of 10 distinct and persuasive voices. Many of Chancy’s interconnected characters live through the “event” yet struggle to withstand the seismic effects. Some are less fortunate souls and only succeed in achieving so much before their luck runs out. Each vividly imagined character, whether survivor or victim, conveys the enormity of tragedy through their personal plight.

The cast is led by Chancy Malou, an elderly woman at the market who watches with interest what is going on around her in Port-au-Prince. She looks back on the day of the earthquake and recounts how she and her colleagues stopped watching and went to work, freeing people from under the rubble and praying for those trapped. He treats all equally: “Saints, impostors, aliens, white saviors, bleeding hearts, all need sustenance, and we give it to them.”

We also meet Sarah, who lost her children in the earthquake, after which her husband Olivier left her to fend for herself in a vast and dangerous camp for displaced people. Olivier’s nickname for her was Wozo or Reed: “You bend but you don’t break.” Little does he know that his wife, devastated by her grief, is now on the verge of collapse. Another inhabitant of this tent city is 15-year-old Tavia. During the day, she suffers from the routine difficulties of the camp. Leela is on guard against groups of male invaders.

Some of Chancy’s characters are distinguished by their great escape: a drug dealer with a near-death experience in an elevator; The sex worker escapes from a hotel that rises and then falls on itself, “like a cake of many layers.” Others, like Richard, who has “reborn” himself by disowning his mother and making his fortune abroad, do not reach safety but are given time to re-evaluate their beliefs.

Two Haitian exiles offer refreshingly different perspectives, those of outsiders looking inward. Didier, an unregistered taxi driver in Boston, follows the unfolding news of “this snow-white land with a ruthless stare” and frantically worries about the loved ones he’s left behind. Anne, an architect working for an NGO in Rwanda, responds to a call to come home and help rebuild her country.

Chancy excels in her depiction of horror, adversity, and despair. One painful encounter. A five-page testimonial of a young child brings tears. Readers who don’t look away will be haunted by this important book for some time.

Malcolm Forbes has written for the Times Literary Supplement, The Economist, and The Wall Street Journal. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

What a storm, what a thunder

Written by: Myriam Ja Chance

Publisher: Tin House, 320 pages, $27.95.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos