When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede is a lyrical and evocative celebration of resilience, culture, and the unyielding spirit of Haiti. Rooted in rich storytelling traditions, Pinede’s prose is as poetic as it is poignant, weaving tales of hope, heritage, and survival against the odds. Through vivid imagery and heartfelt narratives, the book captures the essence of a people and their connection to the land and its history. A powerful and inspiring read for those seeking stories of strength and beauty.

This book had me in a chokehold from beginning to end. Everything was so well-written and hit the mark every time. I just wanted to listen to it all day and do nothing except immerse myself in the story. The only thing I would say is that the verse format took away some depth from the story, and it could have been explored a bit more.

Other than that, I have no complaints. The subjects, themes, writing, rhythm, and narration were absolutely perfect!

Thank you NetGalley for the free audiobook, it was amazing!

When the Mapou Sings is a coming of age story about a young girl growing up in Haiti during the 1930s just after the US occupation. This was beautifully written and poetic. This story features magical realism, and heavier topics such as corruption, racism, SA, and grief. There are also elements of historical fiction, and includes Zora Neale Hurston as a character as well. You can tell that the author researched Haiti’s culture thoroughly, as it is beautiful portrayed in this book.

The narrator did a wonderful job giving personalities to each character and conveyed emotions well. I appreciated the narrator’s pronunciation of French words and phrases that I would not get if I was reading the book myself, as I’m not too familiar with the language.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook very much and can’t wait to read more from Nadine Pinede!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Audiobook Review 🎧 | NetGalley ALC

Books like these are the hardest for me to articulate how I feel about them.
It’s written in a very poetic way that was easy to listen to. Magical realism paired with historical fiction centred around Haiti following young Lucille in finding her best friend and finding that despite what others say about her, she is valid, capable, smart, resourceful and beautiful in her own way.

“Love should spread joy, not steal it”
Lucille

Narration Overall: 5

Voice: 5
Energy: 5
Tone: 5
Emotions: 5

Story/Writing Overall: 5

Prose: 5
Entertainment: 5
Emotions: 5
Storyline: 5

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for providing an advanced listener copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Fearing for her safety after she confronted the chief, Lucille's aunt and father send her away to work in the household of a wealthy family. Though she tries to keep a low profile, Lucille can't help but fall for her new employer's son, leading to her being sent to work for Zora Neale Hurston.

The language in this novel in verse is poetic and lovely, and the story focuses on a time that is not as well known - particularly in literature for younger readers. While the story and historical notes overall was interesting, there were times when it was difficult to follow the story. Other times it felt like the reader was missing information. All in all, a good read!

When the Mapou Sings is a beautiful and poetic coming of age story about a young woman, Lucille, who is ready to do everything to find her lost best friend and realize her dream of opening a school. At sixteen-year-old, Lucille is sent far away from her family after denouncing an act of corruption. Guided by the Lwas and her dreams, she takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again, this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti.

When the Mapou Sings focuses on Lucille’s first love, but also on her determinant meeting with Zora Neale Hurston. Inspired by the reel Lucille, a mysterious domestic who worked for Hurston during her stay in Haïti, Nadine Pinede created a magnificent historical novel written in prose about 1930s Haïti. I highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Marie-Francoise Theodore. She did an amazing job bringing life to Lucille’s adventures, but also perfectly conveyed the Haitian magical atmosphere.

Very well written, it had a very interesting concept and plot and I think it was executed very well. The flow was really well done, the story is always moving. It really does a wonderful job mixing some magical elements while also exploring some more political things as well. It does have some hard topics at hand but they were the brutal reality of the 1930's in Haiti.

Beautiful coming of age story mixed with magical realism, and it has a great audiobook! Totally would recommend!

The publisher's blurb gives a decent description of what this historical novel in verse is about but fails to capture what a moving experience it is. Although her life was much different from mine, I found our main character Lucille very relatable. She was clever and resourceful and tried to make life better for others despite the dangers this sometimes posed. I also appreciated the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Haiti in the 1930s from a feminist perspective.

I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys free verse poetry and has an interest in Haitian culture and 20th century history. There are French and Haitian Creole lines throughout the story, but I found it easy enough to follow along with minimal familiarity with either language.

I think poetry is best enjoyed aloud, and I wouldn’t have known the Haitian pronunciation of many of these words, so I recommend the audiobook, which is skillfully narrated by Marie-Françoise Theodore. The audiobook production is good, and Theodore does a beautiful job narrating. Her voice is pleasant, her pacing is good, she creates unique voices and appropriate accents for the characters, and she conveys tone and emotions effectively.

Thanks to RBmedia and Recorded Books for providing me with a free advanced review copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

When the Mapou Sings is a bold, brilliant, and beautiful YA historical fiction story in verse that captivated me from the first line.

I love this story. Nadine’s writing is gripping and gorgeous. The lush, well-developed characters hooked me, and the tender romance was lovely. I adored the mix of historical fiction and magical realism, and the plot was fascinating. The pacing was great, and the story's strength, resilience, and boldness were addictive. I highly recommend this brilliant story.

Marie-Francoise Theodore narrated this story perfectly. Her voice and accents fit the story and characters very well, and the emotion and depth she brought were beautiful.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

When the Mapou Sings by Nadine Pinede is a stunning debut. 16 year Lucille dreams of opening a school with her best friend. One day her friend disappears. Lucille’s journey to find her missing best friend unfolds against a backdrop of systemic corruption, injustice, and societal constraints. The magical realism woven into the story feels organic, with the sacred Mapou trees serving as both a symbol of connection to heritage and almost a source of divinity. Lucille herself is a phenomenal protagonist—brave, resourceful, and fiercely hopeful in the face of daunting challenges.

This book is written in verse. It blends magical realism with historical fiction. It is set in 1930s Haiti after the US occupation. The nod to Zora Neale Hurston’s time in Haiti just adds another layer of complexity. When she references Their Eyes were Watching God I was overjoyed. It is one of my favorite books of all time.

I really loved how brave Lucille was. She faced danger throughout the book dealing with the corrupt government officials but she continued to keep pushing boundaries and never gave up searching for her friend.

I loved this book. It is one of my favorite reads of the year.i will recommend it to anyone that will listen.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for this audiobook ARC provided to me in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good book I'm not sure it was my kind of thing but it was heart breaking and beautiful and interesting from a history point of view