When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime...
You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?
Actually, a lot.
Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own...and to hide a rather devastating secret.
All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks...like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.
You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.
PRAISE FOR DEAR HAITI, LOVE ALAINE
“An enchanting and engrossing novel full of wit and laughter along with a tantalizing generational mystery. Alaine Beauparlant is that rare character who feels like your complicated but indispensable friend, one you wish you could stay in touch with and hear more fascinating and absorbing stories from long after finishing the book.”
—Edwidge Danticat, author of Breath, Eyes, Memory
“The Moulite Sisters have given us a refreshing and balanced view of Haiti through the eyes of Alaine, a remarkable, funny, and whip-smart young Haitian-American coming to terms with both herself and her heritage. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine is, at its heart, also an American story—necessary, hopeful, and enlightening.”
—Ibi Zoboi, author of American Street, National Book Award finalist
“Sisters Maika and Maritza Moulites’ debut is nothing short of extraordinarily loving. The novel portrays Haiti, too often reduced to grim images of poverty and human suffering in modern fiction, as a challenging and beautiful nation of proud and shining souls.”
—Ben Philippe, author of The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
“The Moulite sisters’ stunning debut made me fall in love with Haiti and its people. Heroine Alaine’s charming, warm and insightful voice delivered the story I needed as a kid. It was pure black girl magic!”
—Dana L. Davis, author of The Voice in My Head
“You’ll fall in love with Alaine’s humor and heart in this moving story of forgiveness, family and finding yourself.”
—Kelly deVos, author of Fat Girl on a Plane
Books by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine
To TeTe, FiFie and LouLou.
And our soul mates Jessica and Lydi’Ann:
Huh huh
Aye yai yai yai yai
Blankety-blanks unite
Imagination
For Narnia!
Dementor, dementor!
~Oooh~
Maika Moulite is a Miami native and the daughter of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Miami. When she’s not using her digital prowess to help nonprofits and major organizations tell their stories online, she’s writing stories of her own. She also blogs at Daily Ellement, a lifestyle website featuring everything from diverse inspirational women to career guidance. She’s the eldest of four sisters and loves young adult fantasy, fierce female leads and laughing.
Maritza Moulite graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. She’s worked in various capacities for NBC News, CNN and USA TODAY. An admirer of Michelle Obama, Maritza is a perpetual student and blogs at Daily Ellement. Her favorite song is “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire.
DailyEllement.com
Contents
Introduction
Final Project
Final Project Instructions
Part I
Thursday, November 12
Sunday, November 15
This Just In: Select Entries Copied From #Sundaypoliticos Tweets
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Thursday, November 19
Saturday, November 21
Tuesday, November 24
Monday, November 30
Wednesday, December 2
Sunday, December 6
Monday, December 7
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Friday, December 11
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Saturday, December 12
Friday, December 25
Friday, January 1
Monday, January 4
Wednesday, January 6
Who’s Who: The Major Players of the Haitian Revolution
Thursday, January 7
Friday, January 8
An Imagined Email Exchange Between Mom And Her Boss After Those Less Than Flattering Articles About GNN Came Out
Monday, January 11
Tuesday, January 12
Handwritten Note From Dad
Wednesday, January 13
Tuesday, January 19
Screenshots From Study Group Chat About “The Incident”
Annotated transcript of what I heard when I listened in on the second house phone (yup we still have those) during Dad’s (pointless) conversation with Mom
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Part II
Wednesday, January 20
Thursday, January 21
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Actual Shopping List Of Items Dad Made Me Bring To Dazzle Foodie Mom
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Research Following My Convo with Mom
Friday, January 22
Monday, January 25
From Estelle Dubois
Wednesday, January 27
Postcard #1 To Dad
Postcard #2 To Dad
Postcard #3 To Dad
Postcard #4 To Dad
Postcard To Tatiana
Thursday, January 28
Patron Pal Contact Us Page
Saturday, January 30
Monday, February 1
Wednesday, February 3
Part III
Wednesday, February 3
A Note And An Old Diary Tati Estelle Left On My Bed After We Got Home
Ripped Pages From My Mom’s High School Diary Courtesy Of Tati Estelle, Who Said She Found It When She Was Moving Back Into Their Family Home
Thursday, February 7
Friday, February 8
Saturday, February 9
Friday, February 5
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Sunday, February 7
My Hazy Recollection Of The One Time I Met William Donahue, Mom’s Ex-Ep
An Imagined Email Exchange Between Mom And Her Boss Discussing Her Foregone Future At GNN
Press Release From GNN Announcing Mom�
��s Departure A Few Days Ago
***Petitioning GNN***
Sunday, February 7
Part IV
Monday, February 8
Twenty-Five-Year-Old Letter From Mom To Tati Estelle In The Dossier Tati Estelle Gave Me
Scanned Letters I Found In Online Academic Caribbean Journal Archives From Henri Christophe’s Widow, Marie-Louise Coidavid, To Christophe’s Successor, Jean-Pierre Boyer
Scanned Letters Between Coidavid And Boyer’s Wife (And Alexandre Pétion’s Widow) Marie-Madeleine Lachenais Given To Me By Tati Estelle
Letter From Mom To Tati Estelle In The Dossier Tati Estelle Gave Me
Clearly Unsent Letter From Tati Estelle To Mom
Tuesday, February 9
Wednesday, February 10
Friday, February 12
Saturday, February 13
Part V
Sunday, February 14
Monday, February 15
Tuesday, February 16
Saved Instant Messages On The Online Work Platform “Slackr” B/T Me And Jason
From Alaine Beauparlant
Screenshot Of Patron Pal Database Searches
From Estelle Dubois
Wednesday, February 17
Wednesday, February 17
Sunday, February 21
Copy Of Mom’s Cognitive Assessment Test
Draw A Clock Showing 5 Past 8
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Monday, February 22
Part VI
Friday, February 26
Sunday, February 28
Monday, February 29
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Saturday, March 5
Running list of people that my parents have dated since divorcing (the ones I’ve known about, anyway)
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Selected Entries From The #Calixteditsohumbertpriscillarenecharlesonit Wedding (Not My First Choice In Hashtags Either, But Nobody Asked Me)
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Part VII
Saturday, March 5
Sunday, March 6
Cap-Haïtien Police Department
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Engraved Wood Carving On The SS Bateau d’ Amour’s King-Size Headboard
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Part VIII
Sunday, March 6
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Saturday, March 12
Sunday, March 13
Text Messages From Jason
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Note Roseline Handed To Me In The Hospital
Updated To-Do List From Roseline’s Places To Visit
Running List Of 5 Stages Of What Goes Through Your Mind Upon Realizing You’ve Been Living A Lie
Part IX
Saturday, March 19
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Wednesday, March 23
Friday, March 25
Tuesday, March 29
Columbia University Office Of Admissions
Part X
Friday, April 1
Authors’ Note
Acknowledgments
INTRODUCTION
Dear Sister Wagner,
When I first started this assignment, I was prepared to write it off as one of the many weird projects that we always get assigned at this school. (This is, after all, the only educational institution in Florida that teaches electives like The Joy of Physical Education & Classical Music and Feminist Theory Within the World of the Shire.) I chose to register for this class in particular because I figured a course that takes a look at Latin American history would be an opportunity for me to draw on the stories of Haiti that I’ve heard my whole life. And after three years of projects at St. Catherine de’ Ricci Academy, this fourth and final assignment should’ve been a cinch.
It wasn’t. This research project asked us to explore the revolutionary history of a country of our choosing “while highlighting a prominent family’s contribution to its early liberation and subsequent development.” Since Henri Christophe, the first and only king of Haiti, is my great-great-great-greatnth-grandfather, the lovable narcissist in me thought that it would be cool to learn more about my family’s history in the larger context of Haiti’s turbulent past. But my work quickly took on a life of its own and, many times, I didn’t know where it was headed or whether I was chasing the right leads.
And though I hadn’t planned on it for this assignment, I got to visit Haiti for the first time. This trip opened my eyes in ways I couldn’t have foreseen. I was able to deepen my relationship with my mother, explore my family history, and experience up close the country that I’ve loved from afar. I discovered that the choices of the past reverberate into the future and that achieving our wildest dreams often comes at a nightmare of a cost. While I was in Haiti, I was swept up in the rhythm of the culture and lost myself. I’m still shocked. The painless acceptance that you mention in our instructions between “the everyday with the fantastic” was not an idea I was familiar with. I was raised by a doctor who encouraged me to sift beneath what we see at face value and a journalist who told me to never stop asking questions. But I realize now that sometimes you won’t get answers. And other times you won’t like the answers you get.
Oh, and I learned that growing up means that we’re not always in control. But it doesn’t mean that we’re completely powerless either. In fact, each of us must come to the realization that life actually lies somewhere in the middle. (Seriously, I’ve done so much adulting these past few weeks I’ve been looking into retirement options.)
I wasn’t totally sure what I’d end up with or how much I was going to share. In the end, I’ve decided to trust you with my story, hairy warts and all. And now that I know where I’ve been, I know where I’m going. The notes, articles, emails, and diary entries you’ll find in the following pages will take you on a twisty journey into both my family’s and Haiti’s past and bring you to present day. Get ready for a bumpy ride.
Alaine
FINAL PROJECT
Rasin Pye Bwa Kouri Byen Fon
or
The Roots of the Trees Run Deep
ALAINE BEAUPARLANT
LATIN AMERICAN HISTORY + CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP
SISTER PATRICIA WAGNER, PHD
ST. CATHERINE DE’ RICCI ACADEMY
FINAL PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS
You will examine the journey of a Latin American country’s revolution in three sections while highlighting a prominent family’s contribution to its early liberation and subsequent development. Latin America is the birthplace of magical realism, the literary genre that juxtaposes the everyday with the fantastic and makes no apologies or explanations for it. If the Spirit moves you, write in the tradition of the greats and embrace the aspects of your chosen culture that leave you breathless. Remember: this class is equal parts Latin American history and creative writing.
PART 1: THE LIST
DUE—WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6..... 10% OF FINAL PROJECT GRADE
Instructions: Create a list of notable individuals in your chosen country’s revolution. Include the defining moments of five or more principal actors (at least one should be from your prominent family) and describe his or her claim to fame. Use the List as a framework for both the Presentation and Story sections of your project. Be sure to also include a short paragraph describing your presentation plans.
PART 2: T
HE PRESENTATION
DUE—TUESDAY, JANUARY 12..... 40% OF FINAL PROJECT GRADE
Instructions: Using the research you’ve conducted throughout the year on your chosen country, depict a culturally significant moment in time as it relates to your country’s revolution. Costumes, photographs, dioramas, and other props are encouraged.
PART 3: THE STORY
DUE—FRIDAY, APRIL 1....... 50% OF FINAL PROJECT GRADE
Instructions: Present the information that you’ve collected on your chosen family in an engaging story. How did they impact the revolution? Does the family remain a significant power in the country’s modern history? This section is where your creative writing should particularly shine.
PART I
NOU TOUT FOU LA
(WE’RE ALL MAD HERE)
Thursday, November 12
The Life and Times of Alaine Beauparlant
Curiouser and curiouser.
Quoting my favorite line in my favorite book (Hi, Alice) was my first reaction when I came home from school today and saw the new laptop that I’d been heavily hinting at wanting for the last few months, placed carefully in the center of the small desk in my bedroom.
Well. My first reaction was actually distrust.
Now, I know that a normal reaction to receiving a gift that you’ve wanted for an eternity and a quarter should involve something like clasping your hands on either side of your face, tears of happiness sliding down your cheeks, and a toothy grin followed by a loud exclamation of “Oh, you shouldn’t have!”
But gifting at my house doesn’t quite work out that way when you know for a fact that you’re not due to receive said gift for another six to nine months. Not when the only thing your divorced parents agree on is that their sole child should never feel entitled to anything without earning it, no matter what their salaries could provide. I was almost positive that my parents were going to “surprise” me with the laptop as a graduation present after I’d done my part as the first-generation American daughter and gotten accepted to Mom’s alma mater, Columbia University, to study journalism. This would of course be followed by the other items they’d have to get for my welcome-to-college-don’t-mess-this-up package. See: mini-fridge, microwave, respectably sized television, twin XL bedding, freedom, etc.