In this novel, Chancy attempts to remember the victims of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Through the lens of various characters, both onsite and away, dead or alive, she draws the portrait of a life-changing event. I loved Chancy's style: melodic and descriptive which conjured the fear, confusion, helplessness and grief that reigned for months and years as it reshaped the country. The mix of English, French and Kreyol adds a beautiful dimension to the text, creating a rich tapestry.
Almost every chapter is told by a new character, which does make the story at times confusing, even if the lives interweave and intersect at regular points. This said, once the names become familiar, the characters take on a touching and deeply moving quality. This is a truly sobering homage to all the victims and survivors which gives an inkling to the world of what the event must have been like. ( )

"At least 250,000 people died and only their closest relatives and friends remembered who they might have been; they could not be recovered, not even their names.”

Myriam J. A. Chancy's What Storm, What Thunder is a heartbreaking yet powerful work of fiction that revolves around the 7.0 magnitude 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti and left 250,000-300000 dead and many injured and homeless.
The story is told through ten voices - ten individuals from different walks of life who lives are impacted by the ‘Douz/Douze’ as the locals refer to the earthquake. Eight of these people were in Port-au-Prince when the natural disaster occurred and two have family there but were not living there when the event occurred. The author gives us a glimpse of life before, during and after the quake.

“Douz: when something terrible happens to you, it feels like a dream at first. Not until the pain and the panic settle does it seem real.”

Different settings are used to tell the story - the marketplace in Port-au-Prince , a swanky hotel frequented by the affluent and those they do business with, the IDP camp where those displaced face other hardships and atrocities within the ‘tented city’ and the outskirts where displaced people are being relocated for employment .

We also get a glimpse into the heartache and despair felt by those who did not witness the death and destruction firsthand but whose roots and family remain in Haiti .

“There is no before, no way to think before. There is only the not knowing of how to put the before together with the now. Before is a distant memory. I am still waiting to hear from those I loved, before. Waiting to hear if I can say I love, still, or if everything will remain past tense, what it was: no beyond, no goodbyes: simply after.”

Haiti’s earthquake and its devastating effects on human life is not any easy story to tell, even in fiction. But the author has exercised considerable care and restraint while crafting the stories that make this novel, remaining as true to fact that fiction allows without unnecessary embellishment. While incidents of death, trauma and sexual assault are hard to read it is commendable that the author has not gone overboard in graphic detail .
It is difficult to not be affected when you read What Storm, What Thunder. I had to take my time reading it and took breaks from the book in-between . A beautifully penned novel, Myriam J. A. Chancy's What Storm, What Thunder leaves you with a heavy heart. ( )

Best read of 2021 !!!!!!

After Les Villages de Dieu by Emmelie Prophète, this is the second book that I read for the year which deals with subjects that I know too well: the earthquake of January 12, 2010 which literally brought Haiti to the ground , not even on her knees, lying face down in the white dust. It's a fictional story but that didn't stop me from identifying myself with the characters. In this book, we follow the stories of 10 people, all related in one way or another. Everyone experienced those seconds of terror in a different way.

I like the way Madame Chancy describes the life of each character. We have the impression that we were there, that it was our life. Each of them. It made me think back to my post-Douz experience where, even though my house had not collapsed, I slept with my family in a tent that barely struggled to accommodate us together. The book is in English but I assure you that it is easy to read.

All of this to tell you that I recommend this book with all my heart. Until recently, I did not know this talented author and that is why I would like to thank the Tin House publishing house for this such a beautiful gift, I loved, I very much appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
( )

Each chapter looks at the 2010 earthquake in Haiti through the eyes of a different yet interconnected character, some of which are easier to connect with than others. ( )

This was a difficult book to read, not because I wasn‘t pulled in, but because the realism of the writing. This is a multi-POV fictional accounts of the Haitian earthquake of 2010 and aftermath. Profound, emotional, and book hangover worthy. ( )