The First And Last King of Haiti
A Book Review
First and foremost, just want to let you all know that I got a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn’t even request it, haha.
The First and Last King of Haiti is a rather weighty book on Henry Christophe. While this king has had many plays, books, and rumors spread about him, thanks to colonization and whitewashing, much of it is either inconclusive or just plain incorrect, as the author of this book Marlene L. Daut, points out.
Was he an enslaved person? Or a spoiled mixed kid? Why did he betray those who helped him get to his position? What was his life like? We go into some of these questions and then some in this rather large book about the king of Haiti.
This book is heavy and I will be discussing some of those heavy topics so before I get into it, here are some trigger warnings for the book: slavery, torture, war, racism, sexual assault, suicide, murder. If any of these things are triggering for you, this may not be the book you want to pick up, although I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Does the cover leave something to be desired? Yes, but most biographies do, so there.
Stars: 4/5
What I liked about this account is that the author doesn’t ignore the rumors or the evidence of propaganda and whitewashing that undoubtedly helped those rumors to grow. Instead Daut actively goes into some of the biggest rumors about King Christophe and why they don’t make sense. She also denounces the use of blackface that was so prominent in staged accounts of the man’s life and the sheer racism (which allowed for lies and fearmongering) in said accounts. Another reason that this book grew on me is the fact that from the very beginning, we understand that this is all hearsay and what was “most likely.” King Christophe’s enemies got rid of most of his belongings after his death, as well as many of the news and personal accounts after his death. Just as with any war, the victor writes the history and history did not paint this man in a favorable light.
Another aspect that kept me reading was that it was told like a story instead of a monotonous history lesson, as many accounts of long-dead Black figures are. The author reminds us that this isn’t just a lesson, it’s a life, and she treats it as one. Plus, I got to learn a lot about a man who I really only knew in name and major deed. And most in the western world probably don’t even know that much! Was it a book that broached some heavy and emotionally draining topics? Yes, but it was an enthralling read and if not for the fact I was reading it on a small screen, I probably could have read it rather quickly through.
One last thing, and this is just my opinion, but if you want to check this book out, get the print version. On digital it took so long to read that my eyes got tired from all the blue light!
Happy reading!