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<\/a>January 12, 2010 marked another dark day in the history of the Caribbean island of Haiti. One of the poorest and least developed countries in the world, it was struck by a massive earthquake \u2013 the worst in the past 200 years \u2013 which devastated its capital of Port-au-Prince. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, injured and killed. In his book Haiti after the Earthquake<\/em>, Dr. Paul Farmer vividly describes the earthquake\u2019s impact on the country through his experiences working there as a medical doctor and as a United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti, when he sought to aid the country\u2019s transition from disaster relief to reconstruction. Farmer has worked extensively in Haiti for the past thirty years and is also a professor at Harvard Medical School, chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham, and co-founder of Partners in Health.<\/p>\nThe first eight chapters of his book intensely illustrate the suffering and resilience Farmer encountered in Haiti, as well as contains important information on the country\u2019s record of poverty and political instability. Farmer\u2019s main argument is that the disastrous effects were not caused by the earthquake alone, but also by an unfortunate blend of several other factors.\u00a0 One of the most important contributing factors is the long history of colonialism which affected Haiti both politically and economically. In 1825, France extorted Haiti for 150 million francs to compensate for the loss of the empire\u2019s property (both land and slaves); Haiti managed to pay the debt, with interest, a century later. A military occupation by the United States followed in 1915 and lasted until 1934, with the purpose of deterring European influence in the Western Hemisphere. Farmer claims that Haiti became anchored more formally in the \u201cAmerican Hemisphere\u201d through this nineteen year military occupation. When the U.S. withdrew its troops, they left \u201ca superficial calm and a social class that relied heavily on the army as the arbiter of political transitions\u201d (pg. 3). Haitians\u2019 demands for democracy were also disrespected by a merciless series of dictators and coup d\u2019\u00e9tats supported by Western nations. Further problems included political instability, the country\u2019s refractory poverty (which worsened each year by such instability), environmental exploitation (deforestation of hillsides), inadequately constructed houses, and lack of adequate healthcare access. Farmer writes that this situation is one where \u201ctwenty-first-century people die of nineteenth-century afflictions,\u201d which contributes to the \u201cacute-on-chronic disaster\u201d that occurred on January 12, 2012 (pg. 20). This environment set the stage not only for what happened during immediately after the earthquake, but also contributed to the serious challenges facing reconstruction.<\/p>\n
Farmer\u2019s Haiti after the Earthquake<\/em> is forceful, in part, because of its writing style and structure. The first eight chapters of the book seem to be Farmer\u2019s personal diary in which he bears witness. He chooses such writing style in order to account for that terrible time and to \u201cecho and amplify\u201d the voices of those who lost their lives (pg. 2). Such writing style emphasizes Farmer\u2019s personal engagement with and devotion to Haiti, and also makes the book more comprehensible and enjoyable by offering both a personal and a professional\/medical analysis of the situation. Combined with photos of victims and Port-au-Prince after the quake, Farmer\u2019s narrative offers readers the opportunity to better understand and sympathize with the Haitian people. Hopefully, some readers may even choose to get involved with Haiti\u2019s reconstruction.<\/p>\n The second part of the book is comprised of several narratives belonging to Farmer\u2019s wife, colleagues, friends, victims, and volunteers \u2013 all of which offer additional perspectives on Haiti before and after the earthquake occurred. One of the most disturbing descriptions is provided by Farmer\u2019s Haitian wife, Didi Bertrand Farmer. In the narrative \u201cMothers and Daughters of Haiti,\u201d she writes about an issue that was less evident in the media images: the struggle of women and girls living in and around the settlements of Port-au-Prince. Besides lacking basic human needs such as food, water, and proper shelter, girls and women faced extra risks of sexual violence and exploitation. Additional essays from people \u201con the ground\u201d offer interesting and captivating information. Importantly, Haitian people are given a voice in this book; Farmer himself recognizes this importance when he asks, \u201cIs it appropriate for a physician, an American at that, to speak for the victims?\u201d (pg.3). He therefore acknowledges that perspectives coming from different people (often belonging to diverse ethnic and social backgrounds) offer more insight, as well as strongly support and legitimize Farmer\u2019s arguments and analysis.<\/p>\n Haiti after the Earthquake<\/em> is an inspiring book that offers great information and motivates the reader to stand by and sympathize with the Haitian people. This book manages to remind us of the economic and social injustices that placed Haiti at such high risk even before the occurrence of the earthquake in 2010.<\/p>\nBook Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n