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Please keep in mind your intention for attempting to find out if someone is doing alcohol and/or drugs- To Identify and Help rather than Catch and Punish.
General: General and specific guides to detection of alcohol and drug use, and definition of addiction.
Contents:I. General Guide to Detection
II. Definition of Addiction
III. Pupil Dilation
IV. Signs and Symptoms
V. Paraphernalia a) S/S Chart Version
VI. Drug Facts
VII. Articles and Other Resources
VIII. Drug Pictures/Resources
IX. Topics
X. Additional Articles (Alcoholism, Drugs, Teenage Addiction, Interventions)
XI. Overdose and Emergency Intervention Techniques
I. Specific: General Guide to Detection
Abrupt changes in work or school attendance, quality of work, work output, grades, discipline.
Unusual flare-ups or outbreaks of temper. Withdrawal from responsibility. General changes in overall attitude. Deterioration of physical aspect and grooming.
Wearing of sunglasses at undesirable times. Continual wearing of long-sleeved garments particularly in hot weather or reluctance to wear short sleeved attire when appropriate. Association with known substance abusers. Unusual borrowing of cash from friends, co-workers or parents. Stealing little items from employer, home or school. Secretive conduct with regards to actions and possessions; poorly concealed attempts to stay clear from attention and suspicion such as ordinary trips to storage rooms, restroom, basement, etc.
II. Specific: DSM-IV Definition of Addiction
A maladaptive pattern of substance use, leading to clinically substantial disablement or distress, as manifested by three (or more) of the following, occurring at any time in the same 12-month period:
(1) Tolerance, as specified by either of the following:
a. A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect.
b. Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
(2) Withdrawal, as manifested by either of the following:
a. The characteristic withdrawal syndrome for the substance
b. The same (or a closely related) substance is taken to relieve or refrain from withdrawal symptoms. (
3) The substance is oftentimes taken in more spectacular amounts or over a longer amount of time than was intended (loss of control).
(4) There is a persistent desire or not successful attempts to cut down or control substance use (loss of control). (
5) A outstanding deal of time is expended on actions necessary to obtain the substance, use the substance, or recover from it is effects (preoccupation).
(6) Important social, occupational, or recreational activenesses are given up or scaled down because of substance use (continuation in spite of averse consequences).
(7) The substance use is continued in spite of cognition of having a persistent or recurrent physical or psychological problem that is likely to have been caused or exacerbated by the substance (adverse consequences).
III. Specific: Pupil Dilation
Before you do anything, consider this. There are two trains of thought prior to detection and intervention. One thought is to catch and punish, and the other is to distinguish and help- do not forget why you are doing this, and the intervention will turn out much better.
Note: A 6mm, 7mm, or 8mm pupil size could indicate that a person is beneath the influence of cocaine, crack, and meth, hallucinogens, crystal, ecstasy, or other stimulant. A 1mm or 2mm pupil size could indicate a person underneath the influence of heroin, opiates, or other depressant. A pupil close to pinpoint could indicate use. A pupil totally dilated could indicate use. Blown out wide pupils are indicatory of crack, methamphetamine, cocaine, and stimulant use. Pinpoint pupils are indicatory of heroin, opiate, depressant use.
Other causes of pupil dilation
IV. Specific: Signs and Symptoms
Alcohol: Odor on the breath. Intoxication. Difficulty focusing: glazed aspect of the eyes. Uncharacteristically passive behavior; or combative and argumentative behavior. Gradual (or sudden in adolescents) deterioration in personal aspect and hygiene. Gradual development of dysfunction, peculiarly in occupation performance or schoolwork. Absenteeism (particularly on Monday). Unexplained bruises and accidents. Irritability. Flushed skin. Loss of memory (blackouts). Availability and consumption of alcohol becomes the focus of social or professional activities. Changes in peer-group associations and friendships. Impaired interpersonal relationships (troubled marriage, unexplainable termination of deep relationships, alienation from close family members).
Marijuana/Pot: Rapid, piercing talking and bursts of laughter linearly stages of intoxication. Sleepy or stupor in the later stages. Forgetfulness in conversation. Inflammation in whites of eyes; pupils improbable to be dilated. Odor similar to burnt rope on costume or breath. Tendency to drive tardily – beneath speed limit. Distorted sense of time passage – tendency to overestimate time intervals. Use or possession of paraphernalia including roach clip, packs of rolling papers, pipes or bongs. Marijuana users are difficult to recognize unless they are under the influence of the drug at the time of observation. Casual users may show none of the popular symptoms. Marijuana does have a distinct odor and may be the same color or a bit greener than tobacco.
Cocaine/Crack/Methamphetamines/Stimulants: Extremely dilated pupils. Dry mouth and nose, bad breath, general lip licking. Excessive activity, difficultness sitting still, lack of interest in feed or sleep. Irritable, argumentative, nervous. Talkative, but speech often times lacks continuity; changes subjects rapidly. Runny nose, cold or chronic sinus/nasal problems, nose bleeds. Use or possession of paraphernalia including little spoons, razor blades, mirror, little bottles of white powder and plastic, glass or metal straws.
Depressants: Symptoms of alcohol intoxication with no alcohol odor on breath (remember that depressants are oftentimes applied with alcohol). Lack of facial expression or animation. Flat affect. Flaccid appearance. Slurred speech. Note: There are few readily apparent symptoms. Abuse may be conveyed by activenesses such as general visits to dissimilar physicians for prescriptions to treat” nervousness”, “anxiety”,” stress”, etc.
Narcotics/Prescription Drugs/Opium/Heroin/Codeine/Oxycontin: Lethargy, drowsiness. Constricted pupils fail to respond to light. Redness and raw nostrils from inhaling heroin in power form. Scars (tracks) on inner arms or other elements of body, from needle injections. Use or possession of paraphernalia, including syringes, bent spoons, bottle caps, eyedroppers, rubber tubing, cotton and needles. Slurred speech. While there may be no readily apparent sensations or changes of analgesic abuse, it may be indicated by frequent visits to dissimilar physicians or dentists for prescriptions to treat pain of non-specific origin. In cases where patient has chronic pain and abuse of medication is suspected, it may be indicated by amounts and frequency taken.
Inhalants: Substance odor on breath and clothes. Runny nose. Watering eyes. Drowsiness or unconsciousness. Poor muscle control. Prefers group action to being alone. Presence of bags or rags containing arid plastic cement or other solvent at home, in locker at school or at work. Discarded whipped cream, spray paint or similar chargers (users of nitrous oxide). Small bottles labeled” incense” (users of butyl nitrite).
Solvents, Aerosols, Glue, Petrol: Nitrous Oxide – laughing gas, whippits, nitrous. Amyl Nitrate – snappers, poppers, pearlers, rushamie, .Butyl Nitrate – locker room, bolt, bullet, rush, climax, red gold. Slurred speech, impaired coordination, nausea, vomiting, slowed breathing. Brain damage, pains in the chest, muscles, joints, heart trouble, severe depression, fatigue, loss of appetite, bronchial spasm, sores on nose or mouth, nosebleeds, diarrhea, bizarre or reckless behavior, sudden death, suffocation.
LSD/Hallucinogens: Extremely dilated pupils, (see note below). Warm skin, exuberant perspiration and body odor. Distorted sense of sight, hearing, touches; distorted effigy of self and time perception. Mood and conduct changes, the extent depending on aroused state of the user and environmental conditions Unpredictable flashback sequences even long after withdrawal (although these are rare). Hallucinogenic drugs, which occur both naturally and in synthetic form, distort or disturb sensory input, from time to time to a great degree. Hallucinogens take place naturally in principally two forms, (peyote) cactus and psilocybin mushrooms.
Several chemical varieties have been synthesized, most notably, MDA , STP, and PCP. Hallucinogen usage reached a peaking the United States in the late 1960′s, but declined shortly thereafter due to a broader cognizance of the detrimental effects of usage. However, a disturbing trend indicating resurgence in hallucinogen usage by high school and college age persons nationwide has been acknowledged by law enforcement. With the exception of PCP, all hallucinogens seem to portion mutual effects of use. Any portion of sensory perceptions may be modified to varying degrees. Synesthesia, or the “seeing” of sounds, and the “hearing” of colors, is a mutual side effect of hallucinogen use. Depersonalization, acute anxiety, and acute depression resulting in suicide have likewise been noted as a result of hallucinogen use. Note: there are a great deal of forms of hallucinogens that are considered downers and constrict pupil diameters.
PCP: Unpredictable behavior; mood may swing from passiveness to violence for no evident reason. Symptoms of intoxication. Disorientation; agitation and violence if exposed to exuberant sensory stimulation. Fear, terror. Rigid muscles. Strange gait. Deadened sensory sensing (may experience severe injuries while appearing not to notice). Pupils may appear dilated. Mask like facial appearance. Floating pupils, appear to follow a moving object. Comatose (unresponsive) if big amount consumed. Eyes may be open or closed.
Ecstasy: Confusion, depression, headaches, dizziness (from hangover/after effects), muscle tension, panic attacks, paranoia, possession of pacifiers (used to stop jaw clenching), lollipops, candy necklaces, mentholated vapor rub, severe anxiety, sore jaw (from clenching teeth after effects), vomiting or nausea (from hangover/after effects)
Signs that your teen could be high on Ecstasy: Blurred vision, rapid eye movement, pupil dilation, chills or sweating, high body temperature, sweating profusely, dehydrated, confusion, faintness, paranoia or severe anxiety, trance-like state, transfixed on web sites and sounds, unconscious clenching of the jaw, grinding teeth, very affectionate.
V. DRUG SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
Stimulants (Cocaine, Ecstasy, Meth., Crystal)
Depressants (Heroin, Marijuana, Downers)
Hallucinogens (LSD)
Narcotics (Rx. Medications)
Inhalants (Paint, Gasoline, White Out)
PCP
Alcohol
Note: Paraphernalia- Keep in mind, that you may not find drugs, if you are searching for them, but you may normally find the paraphernalia affiliated with use.
VI. Specific: Drug Facts
Includes identifiers, definitions, language of users and dealers. Drug Terms Slang and Street Terms
VII. Specific: Articles and Other Resources
This the further and added selective information for brain alchemy and the drug user)
VIII. Specific: Drug Pictures/Resources from the DEA
CHEMICAL CONTROL
INTRODUCTION TO DRUG CLASSES
NARCOTICS Narcotics of Natural Origin
Opium, Morphine, Codeine, Thebaine
Semi-Synthetic Narcotics
Heroin Hydromorphone Oxycodone Hydrododone
Synthetic Narcotics
Meperidine
Narcotics Treatment Drugs
Methadone Dextroproxyphene Fentanyl Pentazocine Butorphanol
DEPRESSANTS Barbiturates
Controlled Substances Uses and Effects (Chart) Benzodiazepines Gamma
Hydroxybutric AcidParaldehyde, Chloral HydrateGlutethimide 7
MethaqualoneMeprobamate
Newly Marketed Drugs
STIMULANTS Cocaine Amphetamines
Methcathinone, Methylphenidate
ANORECTIC DRUGS hat
CANNABIS Marijuana Hashish Hashish Oil
HALLUCINOGENS LSD Psilocybin & Psiocyn and Other Tryptamines Peyote & Mescaline MDMA (Ecstasy) & Other Phenethylamines Phencyclidine (PCP) & Related Drugs Ketamine
STEROIDS
INHALANTS
IX. Specific: NICD Topics
Do you have questions relating to addiction /addictions / substance abuse? Contact us…Health Info and Videos Medical issues altered weekly. Family Resources for the family, intervention information, support, and counseling. Medical information, doctor and specialists directory, terminology and dictionary of terms. Treatment.
The Villa at Scottsdale- Providing a full continuum of care for the treatment of alcoholism and drug addiction.
Alcohol and Drug Addiction Survival Kit
General: A series, for the individual, family, friends, employers, educators, professionals, etc. on prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery, relapse prevention, support, and other issues relating to alcoholism and drug addiction.
1. Prevention- Includes tips on how to talk to your kids regarding alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
2. Detection of Signs and Symptoms- A guide to detection of alcohol and respective drug usage.
3. Definition of Addiction- A DSM-IV definition of incisively what constitutes alcoholism and drug addiction.
4. Intervention- Interventions may and do work. We will show you how to do it effectively.
5. Treatment & Housing- A treatment center and halfway house locator.
6. Support- Some guides to how to support somebody while they are in treatment.
7. After Care- What to do prior to and after release from treatment.
8. Recovery / Relapse Prevention- Addiction may surface again, in the form of relapse.
9. Other Issues- Issues to think in regards to regarding those affected by substance abuse, as well as those around them.
10. References- A list of those who contributed to this series of articles.
Articles Medical Today Dr. William Gallagher takes us through his use of DNFT with his patients. Psychotherapy Today Psychologist Jim Maclaine keeps us up to date with his articles of insight, therapy, and healing. Counseling Today Therapist Thom Rutledge gives a originative approach to dealing with life on life’s terms thru his distinguishable counseling sessions. Big Book Bytes Author Shelly Marshall shares by way of the Big Book on issues of concern to those in recovery. All pages are set-up to copy, for use by counselors, professionals, sponsors, and others.
Recovery Today Interviews of humans in recovery, with regards to alcoholism, drug abuse, addictions, recovery, sobriety, spirituality, wisdom, experience, strength, and hope. Tune in per month for new articles!
A.A. History Author Dick B. will take you back to a time when the recovery rates were as high as 93%.
Journaling Today A series of informative articles by Author Doreene Clementon how, why, and what to write about.
Spirituality Today Author Carol Tuttle takes us to new heights on our spiritual journey.
Articles of God and Faith Features 100′s of topics relating to God, faith, spirituality, and more.
Life Today Everyday life experiences from humans all over the world. Life, Addictions, Recovery, Hope, Inspiration, Wisdom, Advice, and so much more. Tune in on a regular basis to see what others have and are going through. Find hope from the experiences of others.
Steps Today Recovery Peer and Advisory Board Member Dean G. gives originative approach to dealing with life on life’s terms by way of his distinctive recovery sessions.
Step Work / Relapse Prevention This service is designed to help with step work, with quotes and pages from the Big Book, with forms ready to copy and utilize. There is a division devoted to relapse preventative action as well.
X. Specific: Additional Articles
Health and Medical News, videos, text from the world of medicine, health, and medical.
Ecstasy information.
How Do I Talk With My Kids About Alcohol?
How Do I talk to my kids regarding drugs?
How Do I talk with my teenager in regards to drugs and alcohol?
What does a crack pipe look like?
Family assistance for substance abuse.
Addiction treatment for my teenager.
Overdose or OD Information
XI. Specific: Overdose & Emergency Intervention Techniques
Drug Overdose- Drug overdoses may be accidental or on purpose. The amount of a drug necessitated to cause an overdose varies with the type of drug and the person taking it. Overdoses from prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, “street” drugs, and/or alcohol may be life threatening. Know, too, that mixing sure medications or “street” drugs with alcohol may likewise kill.
Physical sensations or changes of a drug overdose vary with the type of drug(s) taken. They include: Abnormal breathing Slurred speech Lack of coordination Slow or rapid pulse Low or elevated body temperature Enlarged or little eye pupils Reddish face Heavy sweating Drowsiness Violent outbursts Delusions and/or hallucinations Unconsciousness which may lead to coma (Note: A diabetic who takes insulin may show galore of the above sensations or changes if he or she is having an insulin reaction.)
Parents need to watch for signs of illegal drug and alcohol use in their children. Morning hangovers, the odor of alcohol, and red streaks in the whites of the eyes are apparent signs of alcohol use. Items such as pipes, rolling papers, eye droppers and butane lighters may be the basi telling clues that somebody is abusing drugs. Another clue is conduct changes such as: Lack of appetite Insomnia Hostility Mental confusedness Depression Mood swings Secretive conduct Social isolation Deep sleep Hallucinations.
Prevention- Accidental prescription and over-the-counter medication overdoses may be prevented by asking your doctor or pharmacist: What is the medication and why is it being prescribed? How and when must the medication be taken and for how long? (Follow the instructions incisively as given.) Can the medication be taken with other medicines or alcohol or not? Are there any foods to keep away from while taking this medication? What are the possible side effects? What are the sensations or changes of an overdose and what will have to be done if it occurs? Should any activenesses be fended off such as sitting in the sun, operating heavy machinery, driving? Should the medicine still be taken if there is a pre-existing medical condition?
To keep out of the way of medication overdoses: Never take a medicine prescribed for someone else. Never give or take medication in the dark. Before each dose, always read the label on the bottle to be sure it is the rectify medication. Always tell the doctor of any former side effects or averse reactions to medication as well as new and strange sensations or changes that take place after taking the medicine. Always store medications in bottles with childproof lids and place those bottles on high shelves, out of a child’s reach, or in locked cabinets. Take the prescribed dose, not more. Keep medications in their introductory containers to admonish illicit drug use among children: Set a good example for your children by not using drugs yourself. Teach your child to say “NO” to drugs and alcohol. Explain the dangers of drug use, including the danger of AIDS. Get to know your children’s friends and their parents. Know where your children are and whom they are with. Listen to your children and support them to express their sensations and fears. Encourage your children to engage in healthful activenesses such as sports, scouting, community-based youth programs and volunteer work. Learn to recognize the signs of drug and alcohol abuse.
Questions to Ask:
Is the person not breathing and has no pulse? FIRST AID Perform Cyprinids the person not breathing, but has a pulse? FIRST AID Perform Rescue Breathing AND is the person unconscious? FIRST AID lay the victim down on his or her left side and check airway, breathing and pulse ofttimes before emergency care. Do CPR or Rescue Breathing as needed. ANDdoes the person have any of these signs? Hallucinations Confusion Convulsions Breathing slow and shoal and/or slurring their words
Do you suspect the person has taken an overdose of drugs? FIRST AID Call Poison Control Center. Follow the Poison Control Center’s instructions. Approach the victim calmly and carefully. Walk the person around to keep him or her awake and to support the syrup of ipecac work faster, if you were told to give this to the victim. Also, see “Poisoning”. AND is the person’s personality all of a sudden hostile, violent and aggressive? FIRST AID Use caution. Protect yourself. Do not turn your back to the victim or move all of a sudden in front of him or her. If you can, see that the victim does not hurt you, himself or herself. Remember, the victim is under the influence of a drug. Call the police to aid you if you can not handle the situation. Leave and find a safe place to stay until the police arrive. AND Have you or an individual else without intention taken more than the prescribed dose of a prescription or over-the-counter medication? DO NOT carry out any technique unless it is a matter of life and death! If you are unsure of what you are doing, please follow the instructions given by a 911 operator.
Note: If doctor is not available, call Poison Control Center. Follow instructions given.
Breath Eyes Memory
At an astonishingly young age, Edwidge Danticat has become one of our most celebrated new novelists, a writer who evokes the wonder, terror, and heartache of her native Haiti–and the enduring strength of Haiti’s women–with a vibrant imagery and narrative grace that bear witness to her people’s suffering and courage.
At the age of twelve, Sophie Caco is sent from her impoverished village of Croix-des-Rosets to New York, to be reunited with a mother she hardly remembers. There she discovers mysteries that no child must ever know, and a bequest of shame that may be healed only when she returns to Haiti–to the women who initial reared her. What ensues is a ardent journeying through a landscape charged with the supernatural and scarred by political violence, in a novel that bears witness to the traditions, suffering, and wisdom of an entire people.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #8880 in Books
- Published on: 1998-01-01
- Released on: 1998-05-18
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 7.99″ h x .56″ w x 5.19″ l, .44 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 234 pages
| ReviewOprah Book Club® Selection, May 1998: “I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to.” The place is Haiti and the speaker is Sophie, the heroine of Edwidge Danticat’s novel, “Breath, Eyes, Memory.” Like her protagonist, Danticat is also Haitian; like her, she was raised in Haiti by an aunt until she came to the United States at age 12. Indeed, in her short stories, Danticat has often drawn on her background to fund her fiction, and she proceeds to do so in her debut novel.
The story begins in Haiti, on Mother’s Day, when young Sophie discovers that she is with regards to to leave the only home she has ever known with her Tante Atie in Croix-des-Rosets, Haiti, to go live with her mother in New York City. These early chapters in Haiti are lovely, subtly evoking the tender, painful kinship amongst the motherless child and the childless woman who feels honor bound to guard the natural mother’s rights to the girl’s affections above her own. Presented with a Mother’s Day card, Tante Atie responds: “‘It is for a mother, your mother.’ She motioned me away with a wave of her hand. ‘When it is Aunt’s Day, you may make me one.’” Danticat also uses these pages to limn a vibrant portrait of life in Haiti from the cups of ginger tea and baskets of cassava bread served at community potlucks to the folk tales of a “people in Guinea who carry the sky on their heads.”
With Sophie’s transition from a somewhat happy existence with her aunt and grandmother in rural Haiti to life in New York with a mother she has never seen, Danticat’s origins as a short-story writer become more evident; “Breath, Eyes, Memory” begins to read more like a collection of connected stories than a seamlessly evolved novel. In a couple of short chapters, Sophie arrives in New York, meets her mother, makes the acquaintance of her mother’s new boyfriend, Marc, and discovers that she was the product of a rape when her mother was a teenager in Haiti. The novel then jumps various years in front to Sophie’s graduation from high school and her infatuation with an older man who lives next door. Unfortunately, this is likewise the point in the novel where Danticat begins to lay her themes on with a trowel rather of a brush: Sophie’s mother becomes obsessed with protecting her daughter’s virginity, going so far as to administer physical “tests” on a regular basis–testing which leads finally to a rift in their kinship and to Sophie’s struggle with her own sexuality. Soon the litany of victimization is flying thick and fast: female genital mutilation, incest, rape, frigidity, breast cancer, and abortion are the issues that arise in the final third of the novel, in the end drowning both fine writing and perceptive characterization underneath a deluge of angst.
Still, there is much to admire regarding “Breath, Eyes, Memory,” and if at times the plot becomes overheated, Danticat’s lyrical, bright prose offers a great deal of real delight. If not one thing else, this novel is sure to entice readers to look for Danticat’s short stories–and perchance to sample other fiction from the West Indies as well. –Alix Wilber
From Publishers WeeklyA distinctive new voice with a sensible clear or deep perception into Haitian culture distinguishes this graceful debut novel when it comes to a young girl’s coming of age under difficult circumstances. “I come from a place where breath, eyes and memory are one, a place where you carry your past like the hair on your head,” says narrator Sophie Caco, ruminating on the chains of obligation and love that bind the courageous women in her family. The burden of being a woman in Haiti, where purity and chastity are a matter of family honor, and where “nightmares are passed on through generations like heirlooms,” is Danticat’s theme. Born after her mother Martine was raped, Sophie is raised by her Tante Atie in a little town in Haiti. At 12 she joins Martine in New York, while Atie returns to her native village to care for indomitable Grandmother Ife. Neither Sophie nor Martine may escape the weight of the past, resulting in a pattern of insomnia, bulimia, sexual trauma and mental anguish that afflicts both of them and leads inexorably to tragedy. Though her tale is permeated with a haunting sadness, Danticat likewise imbues it with color and magic, beautifully evoking the pace and reputation of Creole life, the feel of both village and farm communities, where the omnipresent Tontons Macoute mean each and everyday terror, where voudon rituals and superstitions still dominate even as illiterate inhabitants utilize such 20th-century conveniences as cassettes to correspond with emigres in America. In simple, lyrical prose enriched by an elegiac tone and piquant observations, she makes Sophie’s confusedness and guilt, her difficult assimilation into American culture and her eventual aroused liberation palpably clear. Paperback rights to Vintage; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library JournalTold from the standpoint of a young Haitian American, this novel concentrates on relationships amidst generations of women, both in Haiti and in the United States. Sophie’s mother leaves Haiti to find work in the States, and Sopie soon follows, growing up bothered in New York until she exorcises her demons in a Santeria ceremony. The book’s strength lies in the rarity of it is Haitian viewpoint, a voice seldom heard in American literature. However, the writing itself falls a bit flat. The characters and plot are interesting, but the narrative style doesn’t invoke the aroused response that would seem suitable to the action. Danticat is herself a 24-year-old Haitian American who, like the novel’s narrator, came to the United States in her early teens to join her family. Her introductory novel shows promise of better works in the future. Recommended for more prominent fiction collections.
- Marie F. Jones, Muskingum Coll. Lib., New Concord, Ohio
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful.
 Haunting look into another culture
By Dianna Johnston
Wow. A pause while I catch my breath…
Edwidge Danticat has written an exceptional and beautifully crafted novel about a young Haitian girl and the family of women that surround her. A somber, spiritual story told with a feverish tenacity that will bewitch you and leave you aching for more from this talented and gifted writer.
After twelve years of being raised in Haiti by her aunt Atie, young Sophie Caco has been summoned by her mother to join her in New York. Sophie is terrified and does not want to go, especially since she does not remember her mother, who left Haiti when Sophie was just a baby. What follows is a painful rendering of horrifying secrets and Haitian tradition that deeply affects Sophie and the way she lives her life. Finally, frantic for justification and healing, Sophie turns to her homeland for the answers and refuge she so desperately needs.
The flow of the writing is smooth and lyrical, like music that rolls off the tongue. There is just enough description to make vivid pictures, but not too much to overwhelm. I do find it lacking in the development of the relationship between Sophie and her mother, although not enough to interrupt the beauty and quality of the story. Readers will be awed at the strong determination of the Caco women and the unbreakable bonds that hold them together. A very poetic and powerful novel that mixes a family, their culture, and a country in the midst of political upheaval. Breath, Eyes, Memory is extraordinary.
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful.
 The Haitian Experience
By Jenifer Wells
Breath, Eyes, Memory, Edwidge Danticat’s first novel, is a stirring story of Haiti and the Haitian Diaspora. Sophie, the main character, has much in common with her native country: confusion about her parentage, difficulty adjusting to different people’s rights of sovereignty over her, violence in her past, duty in her present, and hope in her future. As one reviewer below has said, the characters are dysfunctional. That’s kind of the whole point: in a nation such as Haiti (set just before the fall of Baby Doc), where terrorism and poverty reigned, it’s impossible for the majority of people to be fully “okay” psychologically and/or physically. Leaving for what one hopes will be a better life in the United States in many cases only adds to the sense of dispossession felt by immigrating Haitians. Read this book not to find the psychological connection between rape and sexual dysfunction, but instead to find the balance of fear facing the people of Haiti, both at home and abroad. Pay attention near the end and catch a “cameo” by Aristide while he was still just a rebel priest. Note: If you have read Danticat’s The Farming of Bones, you will find this novel to be much more mainstream in its narrative structure. This may be a better first book to read by Danticat, as The Farming of Bones is less straightforward.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
An insightful story.
By Diane
I enjoyed this book and the depth to which the author delves in order to allow us to have a glimpse into the life of a Haitian woman. Sophie is at the heart of this novel and we see her growing up with her aunt, in Haiti, while her mother lives in the U.S. Suddenly, Sophie is called for, by her mother, and she must go to a country that is foreign to her and live with a woman she doesn’t know. Sophie then learns the truth about her birth and the trauma that her mother has endured for years while at the same time learning to become a woman in her own right.
The only flaw I can find in this book is that more character development was needed. I wanted to learn more about the aunt that raised her and the relationship between Sophie and her mother was never fully examined.
The writing however was beautiful and I enjoyed that aspect of it immensely. Danticat makes each of us realize that family can give us much strength but we need to make the change within ourself in order to become a stronger person. Sometimes a cycle within a family needs to be broken. Thankfully Sophie realizes this power and seizes it.
Definitely a novel worth the read.
See all 221 customer reviews…
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