Description: None of the villagers are particularly surprised when Francis Sancher, a secretive amd melancholy man who predicted an unnatural death for himself, is found dead, face down in the mud. But, as the villagers pay their respects, each of them reveals another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death.
Review Quotes: "Conde writes elegantly in a style that beautifully survives translation from the French...[she] gives readers a flavor of the French and Creole stew that is the Guadeloupan tongue. In so doing, Conde conveys the many subtle distinctions of color, class, and language that made up this society."--Chicago Tribune