Dear Haiti, Love Alaine

De: Maika Moulite, Maritza Moulite

Narrado por: Bahni Turpin

“I couldn’t put Dear Haiti, Love Alaine down!” —New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory

Co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, this exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a story sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon and Ibi Zoboi!

Alaine Beauparlant has heard about Haiti all her life…

But the stories were always passed down from her dad—and her mom, when she wasn’t too busy with her high-profile newscaster gig. But when Alaine’s life goes a bit sideways, it’s time to finally visit Haiti herself.

What she learns about Haiti’s proud history as the world’s first black republic (with its even prouder people) is one thing, but what she learns about her own family is another. Suddenly, the secrets Alaine’s mom has been keeping, including a family curse that has spanned generations, can no longer be avoided.

It’s a lot to handle, without even mentioning that Alaine is also working for her aunt’s nonprofit, which sends underprivileged kids to school and boasts one annoyingly charming intern.

But if anyone can do it all…it’s Alaine.

“Delightful.” —Essence magazine

"Stunning.” —Booklist (starred review)

Also by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite:
One of the Good Ones

Great book

Enjoyed the characters, the mother/ daughter dynamic was very heartbreaking at times. learned a lot about Haiti

A good read for young readers!

I'm usually a non fiction reader but previewing books to pass on to my children and niece.This book fits the bill easy entertaining listen and while some subject matters are adult in nature they are handled in a way that's not overly graphic which I'm thankful for.If you have young readers 13 and up this would be a good choice.As a a warning there is a story line about sexual abuse but its done in a manner that its implied with out and raunchy expletives

I love it!

I love how authentic the story feels and how it oscillates between the present and the historical family bloodline, dating back to the First Queen of Haiti 🇭🇹

Captivating

I could see the characters in the story. I could feel what they were feeling and I was invested! The relationship of mother/daughter made my heartache but was pleased how it all ended. I wanted more at the end and can definitely see this as a mini series on one of the networks. Somebody needs to call Coogler or Rhimes to make it happen!

I knew I'd love this!

I will forever be hooked by stories that represent the Caribbean because that is where I hail from. The history, the representation, the foods, the recipes, the folklore (voodoo/witches) it all give me a sense of coming home to eat at the family table. And I DEVOURED this story. Every bit of it. Hungrily and without shame! Thank you Maika & Maritza for this!

4.75 stars

Awesome representation of Haiti and it’s rich juicy history

I loved this story and the breadth and depth in its telling. Alaine is quirky character and the twists and turns in her tale kept me engaged throughout the entire book.

My only negative would be the fact that the person reading it read in a French accent rather than a Haitian one and that bothered me because if I wanted to listen to a book in French I wouldn’t have picked up something called “Dear Haiti”. Please be considerate of your audience and find a Haitian narrator.

great story, but hard to follow on audio

I love Bahni Turpin and this book was a super fun story, but I found myself getting confused and lost with the jumping back and forth between emails, flashbacks, text messages, and regular diary entries. If I had read this in ebook or physical book, I might have followed along better. Overall, it was a decent contemporary YA.

A nice light read

I bought this for my rising middle school God Daughter on recommendation as a fun summer read. She LOVES to read, but I of course wanted to read it first before gifting it. Glad I read it to the end. It was a clean read, but with some tooics illuded to, I think I'll hold onto it to gift when she's a bit older (like 7th or 8th) instead of staying 6th this fall.

It was a fun and interesting story and to my American ears with only one Hatian American friend, the narrtion accent didn't bother me. Outside of the accent maybe not being as "authentic" as some would hope for, I thought the narrator did a great job giving distinctive voices to the characters, which was needed as it's a little confusing with the jumps between the characters thoughts, emails, letters and text. I had to replay some parts 2x to get it.

4 stars for the jumping and the wrap up. The end was ok, but the main character's conclusions fell flat for me. I'm guessing that was indicative of her maturity; maybe if I were younger, I would have agreed but as an adult, you definitely know things aren't always so polarized.

If nothing else, I found myself looking into Haitian history and wanting to try her twist out recipe. I'm looking forward to being one of those cruise tourist she spoke of this fall.

What a story!

It was such a joy to read a book that shines a light on Haiti—my family's homeland. I loved recognizing familiar landmarks and seeing the country portrayed with so much pride, passion, and depth.
The story follows Alaine, a bold and witty teen who takes things a little too far when seeking revenge on her classmates. Instead of being suspended, she’s sent to Haiti to finish out her senior year as an intern for her aunt’s organization. What starts as a punishment quickly becomes a powerful journey of self-discovery, as Alaine uncovers her family’s roots, explores Haiti’s rich culture, and confronts the mysterious “curse” that has haunted her family for generations.

Love Bahni but that’s it

I decided to listen to this audiobook because I love Bahni Turpin’s narration but this story didn’t do it for me.