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A “soucoyant” is an evil spirit in Caribbean lore, a reminder of past transgressions that refuse to diminish with age. In this beautifully told novel that crosses borders, cultures, and generations, a young man returns home to care for his aging mother, who suffers from dementia. In his efforts to help her and by turn make amends for their past estrangement from one another, he is compelled to re-imagine his mother’s stories for her before they slip completely into darkness. In delicate, heartbreaking tones, the names for everyday things fade while at the same time a beautiful, haunted life, stained by grief, is slowly revealed.
David Chariandy is an assistant professor in the English department at Simon Fraser University (Burnaby, BC, Canada), specializing in world literature with a focus on Anglo-Caribbean work. He is also co-writing a book on contemporary diasporic theory. This is his first novel.