It took me an embarassingly long time to figure out the title, especially as a French speaker. These short (some extremely short) stories were like gut punches to the soul. This is a wide variety of Haitian stories, and American stories with Haitian influences. I thought they were uniformly interesting, but some were more impactful than others. Sometimes Roxane Gay goes further than I'm ready to follow, but these pithy moments were each beautifully written and powerful. Five stars.

What a wonderful way to spend a few hours. I am not usually a short story fan, but this selection really held my attention. Roxane Gay always astonishes with her writing, no matter the format.

Prior to this book I had only read some of Roxane Gay's nonfiction: Bad Feminist and Hunger which were both fantastic, but this seemed like a nice transition into her more fictional side for me. Ayiti is a collection of short stories about people navigating the Haitian diaspora - people who are connected to Haiti but have moved to america or elsewhere, people born in Haiti, or people who have a connection there. This was such a powerful collection. Some stories felt like erotic and some felt a bit like shorter pieces of flash fiction. They were only one or two pages and these are pretty small pages, but I loved how all of these stories were so full of emotion and depth. I had to pause and absorb each of them before moving onto the next because they were so impactful
The stories examine generational trauma and history in interesting ways and it's fascinating to see the layers of characterization, how there's beauty and tragedy mingled together with pride and shame. There's pride in the characters' heritage and in belonging to Haiti, but theres also a sense of shame in having left and in the experiences that were endured there. This collection does so much in such little space. It's absolutely amazing.

This was my first book by Roxane Gay and I ended up really liking it. It's a collection of short stories about the Haitian diaspora experience and we get to see very different fates of people with different relationships to the place and also what connects them.

The writing was beautiful and both the characters and settings came to life. It's a lot about trauma and suffering and also resilience and finding joy where you can.

Content warnings include kidnapping, sexual assault, war, poverty, queerphobia, and probably a bunch of others. There's a sapphic relationship in one of the stories. Apparently, the story I found the toughest to read is a shorter version of her novel called An Untamed State, which I definitely won't be picking up, but now I'm even more interested to check out Roxane Gay's non-fiction books.

Ayiti is a slim collection of 15 short stories portraying the suffering and resilience of Haitian and Haitian-American women. None of the stories are particularly related in any other way, but still an interesting read. I've always struggled a great deal with short stories, primarily with undeveloped characters and stories, but this was well done.

I will be honest, I am probably in the minority and disliked Roxane Gay's books in the past. This was a different style and I was still hesitant but it was much better than some of her other works.

I've read a lot of Roxane Gay's writing, but this was first time I read her fiction. This is a moving collection of stories, focused on character and on place. I knew going in that I'd like her writing style, but I was particularly impressed with the descriptions.

I unfortunately was unable to read this book before it was archived. But I look forward to grabbing a copy.

I love Roxanne Gay and this was no exception. Powerful and thought provoking. I will continue to read anything by this author.

Roxane Gay is most known for her feminist books. Even knowing something about her works, I've never had the curiosity to read them until this story collection came up.
Nowadays, the refugees' problem is an highlight of our challenges and we can't escape them. The dysfunction between the realities and the approaches from everybody, from the welcomers (and sometimes, less welcomers) to the outsiders need to be explored and analysed, otherwise we will not find bases for compromise and the obstacles will not disappear.
Starting with that in mind, I wanted to learn more about the Haitian diaspora.
I was hoping to enjoy this book in the whole, but it felt a bit disappointing.
By reading the synopsis we can perceive this is not going to be a happy book. But I do believe, with all their constraint, that not everybody is unhappy and lives in difficulty, at least more than anybody else. Of course there are communities that are developed in a bubble and live by and for themselves, even living abroad. Even so, there are others than can find the balance to live in peace and feel fulfilment in every aspects of their lives.
The majority of the stories transmit pain, incomprehension of the characters came to a determined point in life and don't show any hope.
Focusing in the writing style, Roxanne Gay speech brings fluidity and pleasure, but at times there was something missing in order to glue the narratives.
I didn't was as much impressed as wanted to my abashment. Maybe in the future Roxanne and I will meet again.

This is beautiful look at a story that is very rarely told about those who leave Haiti. This book follows a cast of colourful characters and tells their story in delicate and wonderful ways. Roxanne Gay has shown herself to be a versatile writer and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Roxane Gay is just so good at words. Her writing never fails to leave me more inspired and more knowledgeable than before, and this short work is no less powerful or beautiful.

I'm a huge fan of Roxane Gay, and this book did not leave me disappointed! I hadn't read any short fiction of hers before, and I'm so glad I did. Her prose is captivating and heartbreakingly honest. I loved the setting of Haiti and/or Haitian immigrants in the US, which lent a little bit of a magical quality to the stories. My only complaint? It was way too short. I hope she puts out another collection of short stories very soon.

It is absolutely no surprise to anyone that my most liked (and more importantly, most consistent liked) short story collection I have read so far, is by Roxane Gay. I mean, this is my first piece of writing by her (after watching her from afar on social media) and I am already in love with her. Her narrative voice is just so strong, her talent so rich, the tone of all the stories in the collection so evocative and filled with anger and pain and longing and love. Listening to her speak on social media, it is immediately apparent as to why her debut collection was focussed on the realities of both living in Haiti, and life as an immigrant after you make the decision to leave. Ayiti proves to be an incredible insight into Haiti, a place that I admittedly know little about, but which has an inarguably complex history. A fact that almost mirrors the complex feelings that Roxane Gay has about her home country; the pull and the love that she feels towards it, as well as the fear; and the complicated relationship between her two, almost incompatible identities, with her being a lesbian from a place in which homosexuality is not accepted.
A truly powerful collection indeed.

Ayiti was a painful, poignant and gripping read about the life and struggles of the people of Haiti. It got me very interested in the politics of Haiti and I even ended up reading about the struggles between Dominican Republic (that has a better quality of life due to the support extended in building its government and society during the Spanish occupation) and Haiti (where people are still struggling for basic needs due to aftereffects of the French occupation).

Roxanne Gay's writing is simple yet evocative, making all the unfamiliar struggles faced by her people palpable. A mix of essays, notes, poetry and stories, this book is a must-read, giving an unaware audience a true picture of Haiti to reflect upon.

I have read almost ever single one of Roxane Gay's books and she never fails to disappoint. I loved this short story collection, and read it in the matter of a day because i could not put it down. The only reason why it is not a 5 star read for me, is because I had previously read her other short story collection called Difficult Women which is one of my favorite books of all time. I did not feel as though Ayiti was quite on the same level as Difficult Women, but it was still incredible nonetheless.

Roxane Gay never fails to disappoint her readers. I had read some of these stories elsewhere before so I knew what to expect. I believe her writing has progressed since these stories. Yet, it was lovely to sink into the world of Ayiti and get to know her characters and stories. I wish she would go back to writing more short stories at some point soon -- stories that include many of the themes she tackles in her nonfiction.

Please see the link for the full, more formal review published at PopMatters.

I’m giving this book a 4/5 stars. This book is a collection of short stories, all of them packed with a punch and the deep rooted culture of Haiti. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the stories, and I loved seeing Haiti as the connecting thread between them. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this one. Without wanting to give much away, I can say that the only problem I had with this book was that the stories were too short. I would highly recommend this collection of short stories, and I will definitely be picking up more books by this author in the future!

*4.5 stars*

Ayiti was my first experience with Roxane Gay but it won't be my last. Ayiti is a beautiful work of short story fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and you won't be able to put it down.

The stories all explore the Haitian diaspora experience and they all flow into one another, but none of the stories are particularly related in any other way. I've always struggled a great deal with short stories as it is a very hard medium to work in and absorb, but Roxane Gay handles them like a master.

I was really and truly transfixed by most of these stories. Some were more impactful than others, but it was a surprisingly captivating mix of tales that showed me a more personal side of what it means to be Haitian. I know next to nothing about the context of these stories, but I was immediately sucked in and awed.

I loved the mix of queer stories, family stories, and the personal take on the dichotomy of loving a country and hating that same country. I think with the current atmosphere towards immigrants and refugees, this collection of stories is particularly relevant.

I wish some of the stories were even longer, but as they were, everything was lyrical and poetic and nearly perfect. A must read for those who appreciate just plain old excellent writing.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

This is one of Roxane Gay’s works that I had not heard as much spoken or written about in the book community compared to her more recent non-fiction titles - it was first published in 2011 and has recently been re-released with some additional stories.

Ayiti is a short story collection giving different perspectives of the Haitian diaspora experience. They touch on themes of post colonialism and armed conflict, with narratives of rape, same sex love, and refugee and immigration experiences to name just a few. The stories are powerful and well written, and I felt as connected to those that ran just over a page or so to the more lengthy in the collection.

As with another of Gay’s short story collections, Difficult Women, I think she has such a command of the short story format that she is able to bring such depth and complexity in such a short word count. I loved the sensual ‘forbidden’ love in Of Ghosts and Shadows, but was also floored by the harrowing multigenerational story of life born in conflict in In The Manner of Water or Light. This was a brilliant collection and a great starting point for those new to Gay’s fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

I’ve read a lot of Gay’s nonfiction, but this is my introduction to her fiction. This short story collection is cohesive in a way you don’t often see, all immersed in the experience of being Haitian: leaving the island or attempting to leave, coming back for traumatic visits, or choosing not to go back, trying to acclimate into American society, and feeling the burden of the stereotypes of what it must be to be a Haitian. The protagonists are straight, queer, poor, well-off, but as diverse as this sounds, they all sing the experience of being an islander.

I felt this collection was even more timely with what’s happening right now on America’s borders. I don’t usually write about politics in my reviews, but I couldn’t help but think about the young couple in the final story, leaving everything and everyone they’ve ever known to embark on a boat, hoping to reach the shores of Miami and not die in the process. The pain and love they felt for Haiti palpable in every sentence.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an electronic copy.