Rêves amers
by Maryse Condé
À treize ans, Rose-Aimée doit quitter ses parents et
la pauvre terre qui les nourrit si mal, pour aller
rejoindre à Port-au-Prince, la horde des enfants mis
au service de riches familles haïtiennes contre
quelques pièces… Si elle a de la chance, elle pourra
réaliser son rêve : aller à l’école, apprendre à lire et
à écrire. Mais à Port-au-Prince, elle se fera cruellement
exploiter par tous. Devenue enfant de la rue,
elle décide de fuir Haïti en bateau avec son amie
Lisa, pour rejoindre la Floride. Le lecteur découvre
dans les trois lignes de la fin le sort tragique qui sera
fait à ces émigrés de la misère.
Published: 2001
Originally written in French
Number of pages: 80
Recommended FSL Programs and Grades
Grade 10 ( Extended, Immersion)
Grade 11 (Core, Extended)
Race/Ethnic/Geographic Information
Author: Maryse Condé divides her time between her native Guadeloupe and the United States where she is a professor
Characters and Setting: Maryse Condé was inspired by a real event to write this terrible story. Her novels take readers on a journey of discovery of life in a little village in Haïti.
Notes from a teacher-reader
The book has 80 pages and fairly large text, easy to teach in a month
Classroom Use:
Plenty of cultural elements that can be investigated throughout the reading
Written predominantly using passé simple, so while the story is easy to follow, students who are unfamiliar with passé simple would need a crash course before taking this novel on.
Could be used in literature circles (for example, Un papillon dans la cité (Gisèle Pineau) would partner well with this book as the more challenging of the 2 options as there are some themes that overlap).
Content warnings: Abuse
Hook: Relatable to teens and current events ("illegal" immigration); cultural references to vaudou, free slaves. Use of the word 'nègre' in a culturally acceptable manner.
Feel free to contact the teacher-reader, Lindsay Herfst, at lindsay.herfst@ocdsb.ca if you have questions about this novel.