This is the first book by Danticat I've read, and perhaps it wasn't the best introduction to her work. It's a lively but rather lightweight travel book, and it doesn't really look like the work of a serious writer who's already got a couple of successful novels under her belt.

It's written in a "journalism school" style, where every fact or image, however banal, has to be attributed to some authority, until you start wondering whether the author is still capable of independent thought. She even cites a couple of ethnographers to support the - surely uncontentious - assertion that Carnival is the festival marking the start of Lent. This is a way of writing that makes complete sense in a news report or an academic paper where you need evidence for everything, but in a travel book you would like to hear the author's own opinion occasionally.

Another niggle for me is the over-use of "future-in-the-past" (conditional) constructions. I think the reason this happens is that Danticat has been a bit too strict about structuring the book according to a foreground timeline that takes her linearly through the days leading up to the Carnival. In the nature of things, she needs to link her observations of the preparations to the event itself, and that keeps throwing us into long passages of "would" clauses ("...in the parade the next day, I would see them..."). Fine in moderation, but when you overdo it, it starts to look as though the narrator is indulging in prophecy ("Later that day, five Americans would drown in the bay").

Stylistic complaints apart, it's quite an informative little book, and it probably does the job Danticat intends, which is to reassure readers that Haiti, contrary to what they might have heard, is a fully-functioning (if not especially wealthy) society with a rich culture and an interesting history, and plenty to offer the American visitor.

I was intrigued by the mention of the remains of an old Watt beam-engine at the Moulin Price: it was nice to discover when I Googled it that it had been made at the Haigh Foundry in Lancashire, just down the road from where I spent most of my childhood! ( )

The premise for After the Dance is really quite simple. Danticat, despite growing up in Haiti, has never been to Carnival. Being one of the largest cultural events that defines the island, this seems impossible to imagine. But, the explanation is just as simple. While growing up, Danticat's uncle convinced her Satan was at work during Carnival. To avoid the voodoo and zombies every year this uncle made his family leave town for the week to work on a relative's farm. As an obvious result Danitcat grew up afraid of Carnival. After the Dance is her response to that fear, faced head on. She researches the symbolism and history behind it, but curiously enough, she doesn't describe the actual event until the last 20 or so pages of the book. It isn't until the very end (page 147) that she gives in to the emotion and describes what she feels. I have to admit, the result is anticlimactic. She eventually loses herself in the joy of Carnival but that joy is understated like a passing flicker of interest. ( )

A wonderful joyous look at Jacmel and its carnival.I had only really heard bad things about Haiti, usually from the Papa Doc years so this book was a lovely revelation. Danticat weaves together the history and myths of Haiti with a tale on her confrontation of her childhood fears of the chaotic carnival. I found it an evocative glimpse into a culture I actually knew very little of and peaked my interest to learn more about modern day Haiti.This was my first Danticat and my library is woefully lacking ( )

Edwidge Danticat takes us to the streets of Jacmel and through the wild, brightly colored, irreverent ceremony of carnival. Mixed folk lore, history, and historical analysis with personal memoir, Danticat's journey through Jacmel, before and after carnival, is delightful, and makes me long for a trip to Haiti. ( )

First Words: "During Carnival Jacmel is not a town or a city. It is a country, Michelet Divers, Jacmel's best-known carnival expert, tells me over a tall glass of lemonade on the airy terrace of the Hotel de la Place, a three-story, white Victorian-style restaurant, bar, souvenir, shop, and hotel in the Bel-Air section of Jacmel."

Review: Edwidge Danticat begins this look into Jacmel's Carnival 2001 with an explanation that, since 1992, Jacmel has hosted two carnivals on consecutive weekends. The national carnival "draws people from all over Haiti and the Haitian diaspora" while the local one "is primarily attended by the residents of Jacmel." After the Dance is about the author's participation in the national carnival and her experiences leading up to it. Danticat shares her experiences during a trip to Haiti for her first-ever observation of the celebration of the national Carnival 2001 in Jacmel. One might think it odd that a native Haitian has not attended this annual festival. But considering the background and watchful eye under which the author was raised, it is quite conceivable — and, in my humble opinion, also quite fortunate.

While Danticat doesn't specifically state her reason for writing this book, not only is it obvious; it's also implied in the subtitle: A Walk Through Carnival in Jacmel, Haiti. She gives the reader an up-close-and-personal venture into not only the annual Carnival celebration — but a daily countdown of the week leading up to it. We meet organizers, artists, and performers who contribute to the effort. We read of the institution's significance to those who've attended past celebrations. The concepts are presented in an informal manner — a recounting of a purposeful visit to her homeland. I appreciate Danticat's approach to a part of her culture of which she was forbidden to partake during childhood. I applaud her sense of adventure as she revisits the concept of Carnival with wisdom and a purpose. To the benefit of the reader, she pulls it off effectively. The reflections on her childhood experiences adds a personalized spin to what would otherwise be a generic tour.

Some of the author's experiences on this purposeful return to her homeland prompt vivid recollections of her childhood observations concerning Jacmel. Part travelogue and part memoir, After the Dance shares enough about Danticat's childhood to let the reader know her better. I appreciate reading about some of her childhood experiences — and not only as they relate to Jacmel. I enjoyed reading Danticat's vivid descriptions of, and her reactions to, the sights and sounds of Carnival 2001 in Jacmel. Her treatment of the topic is thorough — down to a background on the origin of the name of the city. This was a very informative and enjoyable read.

The author acknowledges a select consortium of countrymen whom she was privileged to consult during her stay. She ends her acknowledgement with the Haitian expression, "Mesi anpil! Anpil!" — "Many thanks!" This was originally a library loan; but it merits a place in my personal collection. I have since experienced the fortune of locating this edition locally. This excellent documentary is now a part of my "Danticat collection." ( )