BLUE

Krystal Roche's youthful voice melds childhood memories with adult reflection, propelling this novel into the realm of poetic memoir. It is October 2001, and the unnamed protagonist of the story is traveling back to Haiti for a visit after living in the U.S. Roche's Haitian cadence adds a dreaminess to all the details. Bright airport windows, cups of roasted coffee, a bell-sleeved blouse--all lyrically counterbalance the worry of travel post-9/11. Roche's thoughtful pace weaves the words together, rendering chapter demarcations irrelevant. In Roche's voice, the narrative becomes poetry, highlighting Prophete's talent in this genre. The listener comes to understand the term "blue" on several levels--it is the color of the Caribbean sea and sky but also a mood of solitude and wistfulness for a Haitian childhood. E.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2021]