Antoine of Gommiers — Lyonel Trouillot

Who is Antoine of Gommiers? A prophet, seer, matchmaker, trickster, or huckster-- or does he even exist? In this satirical novel tinged with magical realism, Haitian novelist Lyonel Trouillot (Kannjawou) paints a richly textured portrait of life in his native country overseen by supernatural forces where the worlds of dream and reality co-exist. With alternating chapters that reveal the day to day struggles in the capital city of Port-au-Prince of two twin brothers, Ti-Tony, a small time hustler, and Frankie, a wheel-chair-bound folklorist who is writing a biography of the mythic titular Antoine,presiding in his white linen suit and melon-colored hat, the worlds of rural and urban Haiti are brought to colorful and vibrant life.