"He recalled how she used to appreciate even the simplest gift, a chocolate bar, a bunch of wildflowers, an unexpected card. That thought opened the window to the errands they had undertaken in the Cap-Haitian countryside and awoke a string of sensations increasing his present uneasiness and anxiety."
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Lasting Impressions by Yanique Beliard Michel Trafford Publishing
book review by Wendy Strain
Michel paints a beautiful picture of her homeland as she weaves a story of bittersweet romance in a time of change. Fritz is the only child of well-to-do Arab-Haitians within the second-largest city in Haiti. As such, he has many expectations resting on his shoulders, not the least of which are to take over the family store and to marry the Arab-Haitian girl of his parents' choosing. What his domineering mother had not planned on was her son falling in love with a dark-skinned Haitian beauty who was decidedly outside of the white Arab community. The mother's determination to bring Fritz back in line with his expected path sets into motion a combination of schemes intended to preserve family heritage and reputation at all costs.
However, Fritz is as stubborn as his mother with a significant defining difference: He insists upon being his own man without regard for the opinions of others. He has already begun to liberate himself from his mother's clutches when he returns from his university studies in the United States, but it may be too late for him to retrieve the happiness he once dreamed of.
Written in a beautiful lyrical style, it is easy to overlook minor issues such as improper word usage and the occasional typographical error. The descriptions included in the book bring the reader straight to the romantic beaches of the island and encourage the reader to cheer Fritz forward through the many obstacles that threaten his happiness and his very life.