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Apricots: Murder and Mystery in Saint Domingue
Saint Domingue (present-day Haiti), 1792. In the wake of the largest slave rebellion the world has ever seen - one thousand plantations burned on the Northern plains - the young widow Rose Fongravier struggles to manage her crumbling coffee plantation. Early one morning she discovers a body at the bottom of her garden: An accident, a personal vendetta, or – God forbid – the start of another slave revolt?
Set over the course of one day against a backdrop of growing unrest in the French colony, the murder and its aftermath are seen through the eyes of a cross-section of the plantation’s inhabitants: each has a different understanding of who is at fault and who should be held responsible. As the day draws to an end and events reach a crescendo, different tragedies emerge and no one will escape unscathed.
Based on actual events and inspired by the surviving plantation records of an historical family, Apricots is a taut, atmospheric thriller that examines how the great events of the outside world shape and in turn are shaped by smaller, more intimate concerns and tragedies.
Set over the course of one day against a backdrop of growing unrest in the French colony, the murder and its aftermath are seen through the eyes of a cross-section of the plantation’s inhabitants: each has a different understanding of who is at fault and who should be held responsible. As the day draws to an end and events reach a crescendo, different tragedies emerge and no one will escape unscathed.
Based on actual events and inspired by the surviving plantation records of an historical family, Apricots is a taut, atmospheric thriller that examines how the great events of the outside world shape and in turn are shaped by smaller, more intimate concerns and tragedies.
380 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2020
About the author
Sally Christie
4 books391 followersI’m a life-long history buff and I really wish time travel were a possibility—I’d be off to the eighteenth century in a flash!
Since I can’t travel back in time (yet), I have done plenty of global travel: as a child I lived in England, Canada, Argentina, and Lesotho, and attended eight schools in three languages. I continued my global wanderings with a career in international development, but now I’m settled in Toronto and loving it.
The Sisters of Versailles is my first novel, though I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil. When I’m not writing I’m reading, reading, reading; disappearing down various rabbit holes of historical research, and playing lots of tennis.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 25, 2024
Why I chose to read this book:
1. I absolutely loved author Sally Christie's writing style after listening to her The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy: The Sisters of Versailles; The Rivals of Versailles; and The Enemies of Versailles. When I learned that Christie wrote this book, I just had to add it to my WTR list; and,
2. October 2024 is my self-appointed "Month of Mystery".
Praises:
1. early one morning in October 1792, a white man is found murdered on a plantation in Saint Dominque (present-day Haiti). Christie writes a riveting tale, based on actual events and inspiration, set over the course of one day, using the POVs of various characters, revealing how world events, such as the French Revolution and the world's largest slave rebellion, affected the backgrounds of each person involved;
2. strong, believable characters representing the 3 main demographics at the time - Whites, Creoles, and Blacks - left me feeling various emotions - one minute, empathy, the next, disgust;
3. such a captivating plotline! I couldn't wait to get back to this story;
4. the treatment of slaves (and of the whites during various revolts) isn't sugarcoated. Be prepared to be shocked and horrified; and,
5. Christie's Afterword and her inclusion of a map (as well as her website to view more) are incredibly eye-opening!
Niggle:
There are a few spelling and grammatical errors that observant editing should have caught. Thankfully, they didn't distract from the story.
Overall Thoughts:
A new favorite by this author!
Christie wrote a superb novel featuring an underrepresented period in history! It reveals so much as to why current-day Haiti is, unfairly, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
A must-read for fans of historical fiction and/or mystery!
1. I absolutely loved author Sally Christie's writing style after listening to her The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy: The Sisters of Versailles; The Rivals of Versailles; and The Enemies of Versailles. When I learned that Christie wrote this book, I just had to add it to my WTR list; and,
2. October 2024 is my self-appointed "Month of Mystery".
Praises:
1. early one morning in October 1792, a white man is found murdered on a plantation in Saint Dominque (present-day Haiti). Christie writes a riveting tale, based on actual events and inspiration, set over the course of one day, using the POVs of various characters, revealing how world events, such as the French Revolution and the world's largest slave rebellion, affected the backgrounds of each person involved;
2. strong, believable characters representing the 3 main demographics at the time - Whites, Creoles, and Blacks - left me feeling various emotions - one minute, empathy, the next, disgust;
3. such a captivating plotline! I couldn't wait to get back to this story;
4. the treatment of slaves (and of the whites during various revolts) isn't sugarcoated. Be prepared to be shocked and horrified; and,
5. Christie's Afterword and her inclusion of a map (as well as her website to view more) are incredibly eye-opening!
Niggle:
There are a few spelling and grammatical errors that observant editing should have caught. Thankfully, they didn't distract from the story.
Overall Thoughts:
A new favorite by this author!
Christie wrote a superb novel featuring an underrepresented period in history! It reveals so much as to why current-day Haiti is, unfairly, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
A must-read for fans of historical fiction and/or mystery!
September 15, 2022
This book was a pure labor of love for me. The French colony of Saint Domingue (current day Haiti) was a fascinating place, and in the 18th century truly one of the most evil, awful societies ever created. I wanted to explore what it would be like to be part of a decaying society in its death throes and on the brink of great changes: we may read in the history books that “In 1792, unrest spread across the island of Saint Domingue” but that broad sentence tells us nothing about how all the diverse inhabitants of the colony experienced the unrest, and navigated their daily life as history unfolded around them and ultimately engulfed them.
I picked a single day on a single plantation with a varied cast of characters to explore the impact from all different points of view – from those who were losing their way of life (the mostly white plantation owners), to those who were participating in the birth of something new (slaves and free people of color), and I chose the lens of a single day because I believe it is in the minutiae of daily life that the past comes most alive.
I picked a single day on a single plantation with a varied cast of characters to explore the impact from all different points of view – from those who were losing their way of life (the mostly white plantation owners), to those who were participating in the birth of something new (slaves and free people of color), and I chose the lens of a single day because I believe it is in the minutiae of daily life that the past comes most alive.
January 14, 2021
Once again, Sally Christie delivers an interesting, compelling and unique story through flawless attention to historical detail and authentic character development. You will feel the heat of St. Domingue and the tension of the period. Unforgettable characters and a strong plotline will keep you glued to this book. I loved Christie's Versailles trilogy and I love this as much or possibly more.
June 24, 2021
Flawless attention to detail historically, explicit characterizations and a page turner of a plot make this a compelling read. The terrible truths of slavery on coffee and sugar plantations in (current day) Haiti were just about too much for me but I couldn't stop reading. I don't know if I recommend it for this reason, but I gave it 4 stars. I liked the unique subject (to me at least) and original writing style. Although Sally Christie grew up internationally she now lives in Toronto. Now for a book to twin with this topic I want to read Island Queen (Vanessa Riley) about a plantation owner in the West Indies.
December 3, 2020
Started off a bit slow but once it got going - wow. Couldn't put it down.
January 30, 2023
What a page-turner! I can absolutely tell this novel was a 'labor of love' for Ms. Christie. From the historical details of the day-to-day minutia, to the vivid story-telling, to the difficult subject matter, this book was one of my favorites.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews