"Breath, Eyes, Memory" is the story of a young Haitian girl, Sophie, whose mother travels to New York when her daughter is very young, leaving Sophie in the care of her Tante Atie. Eventually Sophie's mother sends for her child, and the girl must travel to the United States to start a new life. I thought this book would focus on the struggles of a Haitian girl adjusting to American society, but Sophie's real demons lay with her family's tragic history, which unfolds bit by bit as the years go by. Sophie ultimately breaks away from her mother but is unable to escape from the horrors of her past. She eventually returns to her home country in search of answers and redemption.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The subject matter is difficult to read, but this book depicts a lifestyle that was a reality for so many Haitian women. Although Sophie and her female relatives endure many tragedies throughout the course of this story, "Breath, Eyes, Memory" also celebrates strong family ties and the power that comes with being a woman. This is truly an amazing book.

This is a great novel about the diaspora of a Haitian girl to the US. Beautifully written, is the story of how mother and daughter come to terms in the new environment. I strongly recommend it to all readers.

Danticat's novel is written in a fluent style with a simple vocabulary. Although she won't send readers digging through their dictionaries, "Breath, Eyes, Memory" will string your emotions as the life of Sophie Caco unravels from her childhood in Haiti to her parenting the early years of her own daughter's life in New York.

As a middle-class college freshman guy, the hardships and joys (although seldom without the accompaniment of the former) are foreign to me. I have not experienced the pains of living without a father, the confines of Haitian culture that emphasizes family responsibility above all else, the horrors of sexual abuse, growing up a fatherless child, or heard the colorful and poetic language of Haiti's people. And yet, I found this novel extremely compelling. In essence it is a story of life's most important battles and how where we came from affects the way we deal with them.

I highly recommend this short but impactful and page-turning novel to everyone up for a poetic journey through a gamut of powerful emotions.

Edwidge Danticat has a cool name and is a contemporary Haitian
writer whose master's thesis for her MFA at Brown University is
this novel. I had heard a lot of hype about her for awhile so
I was anxious to read the book.

Sophie is a little girl growing up in Haiti and through a series
of unfortunate events, moves to the US to begin a new life.
There she learns that growing up in another country is not the
picnic that it seems. The book is quite heavy at times, dealing
with issues like rape, female mutilation and the immigrant's
struggle to assimilate in America.

The story employs the same stream-of-consciousness that
fellow contemporary writers like Junot Diaz uses. Some
reviewers on here had a difficult time with her writing
techniques but as the story progresses, Danticat is able
to tie in any loose plot points. The author is gifted and
is a lovely writer but I wasn't blown away by the story.
For a good companion piece on reading about Haitian
culture from a female perspective, I suggest
reading Jamaica Kincaid's Autobiography of My Mother.

"Breath, Eyes, Memory".....first part was very good. Second part not so good. The rest went downhill.
I thought the story would focus more on Sophie's childhood. If that were the case, maybe I would have understood her and the relationship with her Mother better. Maybe I would have cared about the characters.

This book tells of a girl named Sophie who is raised in Haiti by her aunt Tante Atie, and later goes to New York to spend time with her mother. It is a very moving story and it tells about the culture of Haiti. It tells of Sophie growing up and some parts are sad but I really enjoyed this book, and read it in one day. I would read it again. I donated this one to a local supermarket for Juvenille Diabetes Research and it was gone within the hour. I hope that the next person enjoyed it as much as I did. This book was well-written, moving, and easy to read and understand.

and while I dont remember every point of the story, I DO remember the emotion that I was flooded with in every chapter. Especially towards the end. This was a very good book and very well worth reading.

I received this book as a gift. There are quite a few books on this subject on the market and this one is the best. I too could not put it down and finished it in 3 days. It's a huge book, a great resource that is well researched and written.. I have a few friends who've purchased this book and really loved it too. I can highly recommend this book

Author of
The Truth About
Caffeine

This first novel adapts a simple, understated tone that is almost too sparse in places and also verges on highly emotional purple prose. But the content delivered is highly charged, narrated by Sophie, the common thread through which is woven the lives of four generations of Haitian women: Sophie's colorful and ancient grandmother, who spends her time in a small village in Haiti preparing for her glorious funeral and telling stories, Sophie's mother and aunt, who suffer from ghosts and irrevocable violence done them, Sophie, who we learn has been traumatized by her mother, and Sophie's baby, Brigitte, who represents the untouched hope of the future. The struggles and lives of these women, except for Brigitte, are permeated with real emotion, heartache, and sorrow, originating with cultural traditions and the violence men have done them, and then self-perpetuated. This is a very interesting portrait, not just of Haiti, but of the lives of damaged people, among which we just about all can count ourselves a part.
Other titles readers of this book might find of interest are "Beasts of No Nation," by Uzodinma Iweala, which portrays the desperate life of a child warrior in an unnamed African country, and "The Comedians," by Graham Greene, which presents Duvalier's Haiti and the horror of the Macoutes, who also haunt this book.

This first novel adapts a simple, understated tone that is almost too sparse in places and also verges on highly emotional purple prose. But the content delivered is highly charged, narrated by Sophie, the common thread through which is woven the lives of four generations of Haitian women: Sophie's colorful and ancient grandmother, who spends her time in a small village in Haiti preparing for her glorious funeral and telling stories, Sophie's mother and aunt, who suffer from ghosts and irrevocable violence done them, Sophie, who we learn has been traumatized by her mother, and Sophie's baby, Brigitte, who represents the untouched hope of the future. The struggles and lives of these women, except for Brigitte, are permeated with real emotion, heartache, and sorrow, originating with cultural traditions and the violence men have done them, and then self-perpetuated. This is a very interesting portrait, not just of Haiti, but of the lives of damaged people, among which we just about all can count ourselves a part.
Other titles readers of this book might find of interest are "Beasts of No Nation," by Uzodinma Iweala, which portrays the desperate life of a child warrior in an unnamed African country, and "The Comedians," by Graham Greene, which presents Duvalier's Haiti and the horror of the Macoutes, who also haunt this book.

I am in the midst of reading all of Danticat's work, and this is by far my favorite (so far). I can't remember the last time I cried so hard from a book - it is incredibly moving.

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat is a very moving book. Reading this book and being a Latin-American has given me the opportunity to learn and embrace some of Haitian culture. 'I spent the whole week with my ear pressed against the wall, listening to him rehearse. He rehearsed day and hight, sometimes twelve to ten hours without stoping'(pg.71). I love the fact that the author kept it real. Its NOT a story of too little or too much detail, it's right on point. The main character Sophie Caco is just like many teenagers now in days, and I don't blame her for taking the actions that she did. Edwidge was able to bring out the truth in life: life isn't always perfect. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.

Marina Kushner
Author
The Truth About Caffeine: How Companies That Promote It Deceive Us and What We Can Do about It

Sophie Caco is a young girl being raised by her aunt, "Tante Atie," in the impoverished village of Croix-des-Rosets, Haiti. Sophie's family are not wealthy people in dollars and cents, but in love they excel. Then one day, Sophie's mother writes to Tante Atie saying she is sending an airline ticket for Sophie to come to New York to live with her. Amongst tears and sorrow, Sophie departs leaving behind her dear aunt and grandmother.

In New York, things are not exactly what Sophie had envisioned. Life is hard living with a mother she has never truly known, in a large city with an American culture completely foreign to her. Sophie endures many hardships in life and her desire to return to Haiti is obvious. In the end, she does return but there is also loss there as well.

The positive side of the book was the profound knowledge one gains about the Haitian culture. The negative side was there were parts of the book that seemed to drag a bit and go nowhere. Overall, it was a book worth reading but nothing that will set the literary world on fire.

For my English class, I was supposed to pick out a book I'd like to read. My friend recommended Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat. The book is really good, though there are some parts that were unpleasant. It's a good story to read. Very moving and interesting.

Edwidge Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory is indeed one of the most powerful third-world feminist texts to date. Her voice is clear and powerful; she moves the reader forward with little effort, fully engaging and weaving the reader into the tale. The characters are memorable: vulnerable, authentic, uncomplicated, and powerful beyond measure. This novel is a novel of hope and proves that one can realistically free one's self from the ties that bind: with sophie, the cycle of oppression from within (the family)stops and brigitte, her daughter, has a clear chance of living a life different than her precursory grandmothers, aunts, and great-grandmother's ever could have imagined.

Some 200 years ago , Haiti acquired its independence.
A first for any Black nation at the time. In the years
following that momentous occasion , the country began
a gradual slide into political , economic , and social
instability. The policies of other countries directly
contributed to this collapse.

Breath , Eyes , Memory begins at the height of that
Haitian reality. Sophie , the novel's protagonist ,
is preparing to leave Haiti to go and live with
her estranged mother in New York. Having been raised
by her aunt for most of her life , she is naturally
torn over the idea of breaking this bond.

When Sophie eventually arrives at her mother's house,
all seems well on the surface. But as time progresses ,
she is later bombarded with a deep dark secret that her
mother has been keeping from her all of her life. The
poisonous nature of that secret pits the two women
against the demons of their past.

AWESOME BOOK! There are no other words. Go. Read. This. Book.

I really loved this novel. This story was not only about a Haitian girl trying to bond with her mother and getting used to life in the US. It was also about the mother herself - the rape victim trying to make enough money in the US to send some home to her family. Not only was this story engaging and entertaining, it was also deep and emotional.

Through this novel the reader can learn about Haitian culture, the plight of being an immigrant, the detrimental impacts of sexual abuse, and the intergenerational bonds that unite a family. With this writing Danticat really shows her understanding of the human condition. Even though Sophie's story is unique, the lessons learned and the emotions experienced in Breath, Eyes, Memory are universal.

The pacing of the story seems a little off at times, and the large leaps through time and location are sometimes confusing. However, on the whole, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Told in a straightforward and vivid manner, Breath, Eyes, Memory tells the story of Sophie as she leaves Haiti and her aunt, the only home and mother she's known. Summoned to New York by her mother, Sophie must learn how to get along in this foreign land with a woman she barely remembers.

Through her own experiences, Sophie learns to appreciate the bonds of strength and nightmare that she shares with generations of Haitian women, choosing what to keep and pass on to her own daughter, and what to abandon. A quick read, but one that will change my perceptions of motherhood and sisterhood forever.

Then again I don't know what I was expecting; maybe a happing ending, or a joyful book. The book touched on some heavy topics and gave a lot of insight on the Haitian culture and also was a bit depressing. Well thought out and clearly written from the heart: over all good read.

When I started the book, I was not sure if I would be able to finsih it. It was..I am not sure of the word that I am looking for. I probably would give it a 3.5, but short of a 4, because I kept wondering, was Sophie, able to survive a past that was not solely hers. The reason I feel compelled to write this review is because I think was interesting to see how Haitian women, or women in general are affected by their mother-daughter relationships. The way you look at life or respond to life depends in effect on how your mother does. All in all, it was a wonderful portrayal of how the demons of your mother sometimes become yours. The main character, the result of a rape, fights her whole life to understand her mother, who was a cancer survivor and victim of ritualistic practices. It was all very interesting but at the end, I found myself wondering would the survivor, the daughter live to teach her daughter something new, or were they simply creating a never ending cycle of misunderstanding and betrayal. The novel eventually ends with the main character's mother stabbing herself to death to end a pregnancy that she feels she can not survive (mentally). The story ends in Haiti where the story begans, and we wonder about the future of the heroine and if she overcomes her eating disorder and grows to have a normal sexual relationship with her older/patient husband. I don't know essentially how I felt about this novel. Perhaps there were too many unanswered questions.

This book is full of good, spare prose, but what a tale of woe! There must be a better way to illustrate female strength than through such a steady stream of pain and victimization. In fact, there is something kind of heavy handed about the story telling that causes this book to finally fall short in my opinion. Maybe I am just too old for this kind of thing. I remember reading lots of literature in this 'telling-the-story-of-female-oppression' genre as a baby feminist,' but I guess I have heard enough.

This story is about a family of Haitian women and their trials, particularly in dealing with sexual abuse. The heroine, Sophie, is the product of a violent rape incident. She herself is sexually abused by her mother as she falls victim to an old Haitian tradition of being "tested" where the mother is expected to check her daughter's sex organs to make sure that she remains pure. Sophie is tested because her mother was tested and her mother before her was tested and down the line of genealogy the testing goes.

Pros about this novel:

While the prose has a lovely lyrical quality at times, it also sounds very stoic and dreamlike as if you are re-living someone else's' nightmare. This may or may not have been an artistic element implemented by the author. At any rate, the writing style is unique and I enjoyed the word play.

Sophie learns that it is up to her to break the cycle of "testing" with her daughter so there is a sense of hope for the future of this family with the next generation.

The women in this novel are strong, even if they a portrayed as victims with a capitol V. Sophie's mother works two jobs, Sophie's grandmother is sharp minded and is an endless source of folklore, Sophie's aunt puts aside her own dreams out of duty to care for her mother, all the women stress the importance of family and work towards forgiveness.

Cons about this novel:

There is an overemphasis on the suffering of women. This is not a good coming of age book for young women because most of the women in this novel succumb to defeat. The rape victim gives in to suicide, Sophie is unable to have a joyful sex life with her husband, auntie becomes an alcoholic, grandma spends most of her time planning her funeral. I realize that rape must be a horrible experience but lets face it, lots of women have endured sexual abuse and they don't all just shrivel up and die. I would rather read stories about women who overcome and succeed.

There is no real resolution. We are bombarded with images of abuse and defeat and no one really makes a turn for the better.

There is an emptiness and despair that may paint a clear picture of some lives, but what's the point? What am I supposed to get out of this story? Life's a B--- and then you die? Am I supposed to be angry about the abuse of women and rally with radical feminists? Am I supposed to strive to be the doctor that the women in this book were never able to become?

There is a disturbing sense that traditional women's roles aren't valuable. There is a line in this book that women have ten fingers and all are named for them such as "washing", "cooking", "sewing", and so on. A concept that a woman's life is preconceived and we are bound to serve in the house left with no other choice; endless oppression. What about the women who want to stay home and take care of their families? Are they failures because they didn't become doctors? I hear working mothers complain all the time that they still have to cook, clean, and they feel guilty about putting their children in daycare. Where is the grass greener? What are we trying to teach our girls?

I grew up in a Caribbean neighborhood with Haitian girls as my first best friends and baby sitters. This book clarified an awful lot about some of their behaviors, previously misunderstood by me. It treats difficult issues with minimal sensationalism and much poetic grace. The progress into therapy and the necessary pathologization of one aspect of the protagonist's trauma were the only areas with which I had trouble. All in all, a very satisfying novel which made me feel more compassionate towards Haiti and want to learn more about its history and culture.

Breathe, Eyes, Memory is a very realistic book reflecting the lives of Haitian women. It shows their beliefs, customs and traditions, their fears, and their strong will. Sophie is one out of the many characters in the book that exemplify these characteristics. Her mother also demonstrates the pain that Haitian women face and their reality. This novel gives a very detailed explanation of how Haitian women lived and makes strong opinions on important matters.
The only flaw I can find in this book is that more character development was needed. I wanted to learn more about the aunt that raised her and the relationship between Sophie and her mother was never fully examined. They all are important in the novel and endure similar things together. Sophie is the heart of this novel and we see her growing up with her aunt, in Haiti, while her mother lives in the U.S. Suddenly, Sophie is called for, by her mother, and she must go to a country that is foreign to her and live with a woman she doesn't know. Sophie then learns the truth about her birth and the trauma that her mother has endured for years while at the same time learning to become a woman in her own right.
Edwidge Danticat has written an exceptional and beautifully crafted novel and I enjoyed that aspect of it immensely. Danticat makes each of us realize that family can give us much strength but we need to make the change within ourselves in order to become a stronger person. This is something that I can relate to because I'm am also Haitian. Sometimes a cycle within a family needs to be broken. Thankfully Sophie realizes this power and seizes it.
I also recommend this novel.......... but be warn it will bewitch you and leave you aching for more from this talented and gifted writer.

I picked this book up while working a grueling twelve hour graveyard shift, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. I have read books in the Oprah book club before, but I was really pleased with this one. It was short, poignant and well written. It helped me remember how much I really enjoy reading.

The women of one Haitian family share histories so traumatic that they cannot even speak them, much less write them. These histories must haunt the breath, eyes, and memories of each woman. Folktales within the novel serve to simultaneously create a sense of belonging in the family structure, and alienate grandmother from mother, mother from daughter.

This book privileges the reader with an empathetic insight into a history impossible to capture and hold in static posture.

Breath,Eyes,Memory by,Edwidge Dandicat,is a coming of age story about a girl who leaves her home of Haiti,to live with her mother in the United States.As the daughter of a poor immigrant,Sophie stays fully determined to acquire the dreams of her mother to stay pure,and her aunt's dreams of an education.As Sophie progresses throughout the story,she realizes that she is a child born out of rape. Her face painting the reflection of her mother's attacker. We see throughout the book,Sophie playing a strong role, taking on the full weight as savior of her mother's nightmares as well as contending to her own conflicting roles as a independent woman.
The gaps in between the story impose growth in Sophie's character,leaving much to the reader's imagination.
I very much enjoyed reading this book.Coming from a Caribbean background,I was able to relate to the struggles of the Haitan people.I highly recommend this book to all my classmates.

Breath, Eyes, Memory is one of the books written about the Caribbean that I really enjoyed. Like Edwidge Danticat's other novels and stories this story is well written in a lyrical evocative style. What I cherish about the story is the fact that I came to have a better understanding of Haiti, their culture which is close to that of Benin in Africa and their rich though mysterious belief. Much of the pains, fears, horrors and complications of Haitian history are unveiled in this amazing story which can make you cry, sigh, laugh, angry and happy in different turns. This true to life story is a recommended read. TRIPLE AGENT ,DISCIPLES OF FORTUNE, THE USURPER AND OTHER STORIES are other highly recommended books to read that in some ways compliment this title.