Gérard Étienne’s novel La Reine Soleil Levée [The Queen Sun Rises] (1987) takes place in Haiti of the 1960s under the Duvalier régime. Étienne himself had been a victim of the dictatorship, having been tortured and imprisoned by the Tontons Macoutes before being exiled. Like Le Nègre crucifié [Crucified in Haiti] (1974), an autobiographical novel depicting the tortures endured by a prisoner who is the author’s double, the novel La Reine Soleil Levée represents an indictment against injustice and cruelty. The voice of this suffering country is heard through the drama of a poor family. The story unfolds in the district of Saint-…
2328 words
Citation: Grossman, Simone. "La Reine Soleil Levée". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 June 2017 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35843, accessed 22 November 2024.]