The Farming of Bones is the story of Haitian orphan Amabelle Desir, a young girl living and working in the Dominican Republic. Amabelle falls in love with another worker, Sebastien Onius, but in 1937 Dominican President Rafael Trujillo begins a program of purposeful ethnic cleansing that puts both their lives in danger. The two are separated and never reconnect, Sebastien dying in the chaos as Amabelle is forced to flee back to Haiti.
The Farming of Bones In the beginning of the novel I was easily confused on how the chapters were playing themselves out As I reached the fourth one I realized that the chapters were alternating The novel opens with what appears to be two alternating narrators suggested by different typefaces and contrasting prose styles Yet it soon becomes clear that both voices belong to Amabelle Edwidge Danticat has an effortless style that seems as natural as a flowing stream Her simple but intense language