Rating: 
Summary: A clear voice among the madness
Review: The rhythm of the author's words ring with the cadence of the Caribbean and her voice is clear, wise and poetic. Written in the first person, the young woman, Amabelle, uses simple and deep cutting words to tell her story. Her words are sensual when describing her man, wise as she helps deliver the baby of the wealthy Dominican woman for whom she works as a servant; and deeply cutting as she flees from the slaughter and bears witness to the events going on around her.I was moved and horrified, and was right there in her emotions as she simply told this story which takes place during the dictator, Trujillo's regime. Dominicans who tried to fight this madness met the same fate as the Haitians as their world, too, crumbled about them. Reading this book, I felt as deeply for the Haitians as I do for the sufferings of the Jews in the Holocaust, or the Cambodians who died on the killing fields. I must say though, that in spite of the horror, the book is a pleasure to read because it is a little gem of good writing. It also opened my mind to a period in history that I had no knowledge of and raised the kinds of issues that need exploring.
Rating:
Summary: For Edwidge Danticat, A Nobel Prize for Farming of the Bones
Review: Edwidge Danticat is a powerful writer who economizes her words but not her emotions. Her descriptions of life love and death are short, and poignant. Amabelle, the main character in this short novel lives in you. She takes you into a complex uncomfortable world where good does not follow good and where your destiny is out of your control. The interaction between the characters is very well presented. It creates tension and anticipation. You know that what is coming is not going to be pretty and you are not disappointed. . This novel is not for the faint of heart. It is a harsh story told in excellent style. Danticat gets an "A" for the Story and an "A+" for her writing. Danticat is already a mature writer who tells the true story of the massacre of thousands of Haitians at the "Bloody River". First, you cannot put the book down till it's over and then, you are so sorry that it has ended. It will be hard for Danticat to best " The Farming of the Bones" This book should be required reading for Haitians and Dominicans. This is History told in a Powerful Novel. P.S. I also loved Esmeralda Santiago's "America's Dream" Andre from Chappaqua, NY
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: In the spirit of nearly every novel that I love, I had the most difficult time getting past the first 30 pages. I, like many lead a life full of work and activities, usually the only things I read are very short articles in magazines. This book is not intended for light reading. Danticat is almost in the category of Toni Morrison. If you do not wish to think, do not pick this one up. However, if you enjoying thought-provoking literature that will forever remain in your memory, buy this one now.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a modern day classic!
Review: This book pulled on so many of your emotions. It made you feel the same terror and passion that many of the characters felt. I found myself feeling emotions at a higher intensity then under normal circumstances. Danticat personified everything. From the Waterfall to the sugar cane with raw emotion. This book was so marvelous. My only regret was that the story did not last longer. The story was woven with the threads of reality which made it so much more horrid. As you realized this terrible acts really did in fact occur. All because of hatred for things you can't or don't wnat to understand. The strengh these poor isolated, cold and abandoned people felt. Danticat opens your eyes to this little known horror very similar in fact to the Holocaust and the modern day Kosovo crisis. Danticat constructed this story beautifully. And it is a must read for everyone who feels anything in their hearts!
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Summary: Extraordinarily Artful and Highly Successful
Review: Danticat's debut with BREAT, EYES, MEMORY was more than impressive; it was magical and eloquently resonant. It was the voice we'd all been waiting for. But with THE FARMING OF BONES, what we have is Danticat's finely-tuned clarity of vision reaching the heights of authentic folk art. This novel is unforgettably vibrant in every regard. Entire seminars and workshops have rightfully been organized and presented around this literary icon. Edwidge Danticat is the single topic of scholarly discourse everywhere you turn, whether nationally or internationally. In THE FARMING OF BONES the author has masterfully returned us to a particularly shameful and hideous moment in the history of the neighboring countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic (sharing the Caribbean island called Hispaniola). Dominican Dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo in 1937 ordered the slaughter of an estimated (historically documented) 40,000 Haitians and Domínico-Haitians living and working in the Dominican Republic. This historical incident is virtually unknown to outsiders and to most people not of that era. Danticate has thankfully unearthed enough skeletons form the unknown graves to awaken the interest of today's generation, wherever they reside. But this is also a profound love story like no other you've read. The young protagonists Amabelle Desir and Sebastian Onius allow themselves to experience an all-powerful love in a land where love itself had been vanquished by brutal terror and unbridled hatred. This is truly a novel that rewards he reader over and over with the message of a people's suffering and unbelievable courage. If you haven't read this novel, you are denying yourself a genuine literary treasure.
Rating:
Summary: Farming of the Bones
Review: This short novel was a real eye opener for me, before I picked it up I'd never heard about the government ordered massacre of approx. 30,000 Haitians in the Dominican Republic in 1937. Danticat is truly a gifted writer. The story, told by an orphaned Haitian servant is as lyrical as it is tragic and is definitely worth picking up.
Rating: 
Summary: A Worthwhile Read
Review: Upon the recommendation of a friend, I read The Farming Bones and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author's style of writing was almost poetic and made for a light flow, despite the seriousness of the turmoil the characters face and the time period in which the book is set in. I was carried into Amabelle's world and found myself crying during her most tragic moments and yet hopeful just as she was despite the circumstances she was in. At times the main character seemed to just float through moments in her life, not really seeming to be there as anything more than an observer, however, I took that to be a part of how she dealt with the realities around her, sort of a survival mechanism. There were moments I wished the book would pick up pace, but also found that the slowness of the book added to the charm and overall effect of the book.
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Summary: What of Love--And Loss?
Review: Ms. Danticat has written one of the most fascinating pieces of seriously imaginative literature. The prose in The Farming of Bones is its own league--beautifully written and taut--rich with details of Haitian culture. Ms. Danticat intimately brings Haiti and the Masacre of 1937 to our mind's eye. The novel explores love--what it might have been like between two people in the midst of havoc. Told in first person, young Amabelle Desir, a servant, unfolds her story and that of her man, Sebastien, a cane cutter. Given their circumstances, they make the most of what they have found together. They love, they talk, they touch, they even talk about their dreams together. The manner in which Danticat shows their affection for each other is impressive--the details seem so simple ("he caught glimpses of me between sips of his coffee, he returned the smile, looking the same way I did..."), yet they convey passion in a fresh, uncommon, grand way. Amabelle tells us just how much Sebastien is capable of loving, "I rose and walked to the door. Sebastien was standing there. He handed me two yams with the roots and dirt still clinging to them. The yams were from the small garden behind his room at the compound. Sometimes I cooked for him. Whenever we could we ate together." She later asks, "With all this, you had time to bring these yams?" This scene is pure---a most incredible endearment. The fatal backdrop that serves as an interruption to the lovers is the masacre. Danticat has done an excellent job not only in moving the characters through the chaos, but also in portraying a part of Caribbean history that to many Americans is unknown. The Farming of Bones is a remarkable project. Bravo!! from a 07/04/2003 reader. Highly Highly Recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: I thought this book was really well written, and really kept me on the edge of my seat (especially coming onto the end). I am looking forward to reading other titles by Edwidge Danticat.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning and Beautiful!
Review: Fans of well-written, mentally stimulating fiction will love this novel! Danticat has fashioned a tale of a beautiful love story interrupted by the cruel genocide of Haitians in the Dominican Republic. Her lush descriptions left me mesmerized!
This was a book I couldn't put down. It extends the mastery she demonstrated in "Breath, Eyes, Memeory" and "Krik? Krak!".
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