It is an adventurous and fantastical novella that, in roughly a hundred pages, manages to deliver a richly cohesive mélange of folklore, history, language, and a pack of colorful, unforgettable characters.

Set in an alternate New Orleans, in the midst of Mardi Gras carnival preparations and internal social storm, we are swept into the magic of a city vibrant with diversity, orishas, and factions.

Side reading a bit about the Goddess Oya, I found this beautiful image, titled "Oya" by Francisco Santos, representing exactly how I pictured the descriptions in the book ⬇

The story encompasses topics such as civil war, colonization, slavery, rebellion, uprootedness, migration, and diaspora. I was yet again reminded of how much history I still need to learn, and mesmerized by how deep our shared roots go, with special focus on our Caribbean islands and Africa.

I enjoyed this read very much and have been inspired to both learn more about the history of New Orleans and also to dust off some history books I have around that touch on Haitian-Dominican history and diaspora.