Sister Mother Warrior

A Novel

De: Vanessa Riley

Narrado por: Adjoa Andoh, Robin Miles

Acclaimed author of Island Queen Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: the first Empress of Haiti, Marie-Claire Bonheur, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti.

Gran Toya: Born in West Africa, Abdaraya Toya was one of the legendary minos—women called “Dahomeyan Amazons” by the Europeans—who were specially chosen female warriors consecrated to the King of Dahomey. Betrayed by an enemy, kidnapped, and sold into slavery, Toya wound up in the French colony of Saint Domingue, where she became a force to be reckoned with on its sugar plantations: a healer and an authority figure among the enslaved. Among the motherless children she helped raise was a man who would become the revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines. When the enslaved people rose up, Toya, ever the warrior, was at the forefront of the rebellion that changed the course of history.

Marie-Claire: A free woman of color, Marie-Claire Bonheur was raised in an air of privilege and security because of her wealthy white grandfather. With a passion for charitable work, she grew up looking for ways to help those oppressed by a society steeped in racial and economic injustices. Falling in love with Jean-Jacques Dessalines, an enslaved man, was never the plan, yet their paths continued to cross and intertwine, and despite a marriage of convenience to a Frenchman, she and Dessalines had several children.

When war breaks out on Saint Domingue, pitting the French, Spanish, and enslaved people against one another in turn, Marie-Claire and Toya finally meet, and despite their deep differences, they both play pivotal roles in the revolution that will eventually lead to full independence for Haiti and its people.

Both an emotionally palpable love story and a detail-rich historical novel, Sister Mother Warrior tells the often-overlooked history of the most successful Black uprising in history. Riley celebrates the tremendous courage and resilience of the revolutionaries, and the formidable strength and intelligence of Toya, Marie-Claire, and the countless other women who fought for freedom.

Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

Marie Claire was a true Warrior 💪🏾💪🏾

I really loved the depiction of the actual events that took place about Ayite Sè

Extraordinary Rendition

I have a greater appreciation for Vanessa Riley’ rendition of the Haitian slaves’ revolution. Her novel authenticates the events and its all due to her overall careful researches. As a Haitian-American I wished that the book was read without the adoption of confusing accents but, that shouldn’t affect a reader’s exposure to an incredible and engaging historical fiction.

Exquisite Writing!

I loved everything about this story! The author’s attention to the historical facts and the narrative of women who loved family and country was spectacular. It drew you in and held you tight until the very last word.

Historic

This historic novel was brought to life by one of my most favourite narrators. I was in awe of how she portrayed the characters, they sprang to life from out of the pages. The story was absolutely enthralling . I hope the author continues writing other books of this nature.

The 1st Black Republic 🇭🇹

The author did an amazing job recounting some of Haiti’s most historical times. It’s a great story that highlights the strength of black women.I like the way she developed each character, the culture, and time period. This was the most profound account of my ancestors history that I have listened to in a while. The narrators brought the story to life. Thank you!!

Two Women who shaped the first black republic.

A sweeping novel that covers an overlooked part of history but that sometimes feels forced and stilted. Adbaraya Toya is a fierce African warrior, who's been forced into slavery to save her king. Marie-Claire Bonheur is a free Black woman, raised in relative privilege because of her wealthy white grandfather. We follow these two women from their youth through the strife and terror of revolution in Saint Domingue to their destinies at the forefront of the new nation of Haiti.

There are a lot of things to love about this novel. Riley does an admirable job of truly making this book about the women who played big roles in the Haitian Revolution. And she doesn't just show them in one dimension, like the fierce warrior or the saintly nurse. Riley doesn't want you to identify the trope and dismiss everything else. She shows their flaws as well -- how Toya's reticence to act led to excruciating suffering for her fellow slaves, how Marie-Claire's marriage with revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines was far from perfect. We see how these women navigated their emotions and misgivings, and the complexity of what they sacrificed to make independent Haiti a reality.

But despite all this richness, I never got immersed. I struggled to find realness in the novel's dialogue. I felt like each character tried to make every line a memorable quote, something you'd pick to be an epigraph. But that's just not how people speak, no matter the time period. Conversations would sometimes become circular, and there were also times when characters seemed to contradict themselves mid-conversation.

Conversations are a large portion of the novel and they unfortunately prevented a smooth reading experience. But there's no doubt that this novel is well researched. Riley even includes some notes on how she approached the research at the back of the book, which were fascinating. What struck me was the heavy, ingrained colorism that was not only prevalent in Saint Domingue's day-to-day, but in the war as well, with Black generals fighting each other. If you are interested in Haitian history, this is still worth a read.