Adolescent Lit. Response 7/3/08 PR, C, S

Temple, F. (1992). Taste of salt: a story of modern Haiti. New York:
Orchard Books.


Haiti and Dominican Republic in the 1980’s and 1990’s were very unsettling. Taste of Salt is based on real incidents and people. Djo, a seventeen year old Haitian, tells a powerful personal story of the poverty and oppression in his country. He does this while recovering in a make-shift hospital which is described more of an aid station. His narration gives insight to the political and social injustices. There are also factual references from the president at the time and his speeches. The novel begins with a map of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. A glossary is also provided at the end of the novel.

In contrast to Djo coming-of-age, there is an adolescent female who feels the political unrest, however, she is protected and sheltered by a mother that sends her to school to get educated at a convent. Her name is Jeremie and she dreams of continuing her education in France where she has been awarded a scholarship.

Both of their accounts are full of helplessness and rays of hopefulness. The grim realities of the military government and the contrast of the harshness and blatant disregard for the sacredness of human lives come to a full-boil as the instinct to thrive and survive independently as the innate spirit of the people of Haiti make way for resistance and revolts. Both Djo and Jeremie are trying to participate in a reformed democracy and also make sense of as they grow into maturity.

The impact on the reader of this book is burdening. There is a sense of urgency and helplessness that pushes the reader to complete the novel and wanting to reflect, discuss and further investigate the current situation globally. The authenticity is clearly genuine and not contrived. As a World-Wide Learners, literature is a natural venue to heighten sensitivity to the needs and problems across cultures. Developing a World-Wide Diversity reading habit results in analysis and commonality. It enhances one’s self-concept and respect for people everywhere.