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Book Review:
"Batey Life in Paradise - Uncle Bob’s Cabin or La Case de l’oncle Bob..." is a work of fiction and magical realism set in Hispaniola, the 22nd-largest island in the world, located in the Caribbean island group, the Greater Antilles. It tells the story of the inhabitants of two independent countries during the cane cutting season or Zafra. From the 1960s till the most recent years, bus loads of Haitians are promised great wages and a better life in the Dominican Republic or DR to cut canes. Recruited by Dominican and Haitian buscones or headhunters, these hard-working men and women embarked on a trip of no return.
From sunup to sunset, armed with the basic equipment of sharp machetes, they set to attack the large plantation of cane fields. Living in dilapidated company-owned cabins commonly known as 'bateyes,' those sugar cane cutters are subject to all kinds of prejudice, discrimination, exploitation. Transported specifically at night to their hellish bateyes, these men and women were cut off the known modern world. Not only did they have to worry about accidents caused by the razor-sharp machetes, the cane stalks and leaves, they had to worry about the Dominican soldiers and overseers who would make sure they stay till the end of the cutting season. Under Papa Doc, Baby Doc and Mama Doc and the various administrations of the Dominican administrations, both governments profit largely from the sweat and hard labor of those workers. Some of them might end up returning to Haiti without their salary.
All of this hard-work and abuse come down to the production of sugar which is subsidized by the American taxpayers.
Up to these days, Dominicans of Haitian descent still have to worry about deportation, physical abuse and discrimination if they venture out of the batey. Being born in DR does not automatically give them citizenship. Yet, all the hard work in most industries (tomato production, cattle raising, construction, cleaning etc) depends on them.
"Batey Life in Paradise - Uncle Bob’s Cabin or La Case de l’oncle Bob" tells the story of a Haitian Batey-dwelling family. When the bread-winner of the family, Mr. Delcine, was violently beaten, attacked and left for dead, all the inhabitants rose up against that injustice perpetrated by the very people who are benefiting from their presence. They decided to organize a voodoo ceremony to find out what's been going on in their midst. Houngans and mambos were invited by a retired American agronomist, Alfredo Alfonso, who had befriended Mr. Delcine. Before the attack, the two men were inseparable. Delcine helped the retired agronomist take care of his gamecocks. He got them ready for the cockfighting weekend. That's the only thing that Haitians and Dominicans have in common and do well.
The voodoo ceremony brought the Haitians back to their roots and all their favorite lwas, loas or guiding spirits. They wanted healing for their compadre, their konpe or buddy.
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