Novel
Street of Lost Footsteps
Rue des pas perdus
Lyonel Trouillot · 1996
Synopsis
Over one night of violence in the heart of Port-au-Prince, three voices recount the chaos of a bloody insurrection pitting the Prophet's supporters against the men of a so-called immortal dictator: the madam of a brothel, a taxi driver and a postal clerk. In streets given over to weapons, each counts himself lucky to find he is still alive, and the narrative traces back centuries of violence to the birth of Haiti.
Context
The author's third novel, after Les Fous de Saint-Antoine and Le Livre de Marie, the book first appeared in Haiti in 1996 from Éditions Mémoire, before being taken up in 1998 by Actes Sud. Its tone is ironic, often surreal and tinged with black humour. Linda Coverdale translated it into English as Street of Lost Footsteps, published in 2003 by the University of Nebraska Press.
Who it is for
For hearing Port-au-Prince on a night of rioting, through characters at once funny and desperate.
Prizes and reception
The Norwegian encyclopedia Store norske leksikon presents it as Lyonel Trouillot's great success.