Review: Rubble and haze
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 31, 2011
When the massive and famous Haitian earthquake strikes almost halfway through this short story, white Charlie Chapo is dazed but determined to continue on his errand. He is vaguely aware of the suffering around him but cares no more than he does on other days in Port-au-Prince, where palpable suffering is never too far from view. This is a slice of life tale about an unsympathetic and self-absorbed wanderer, and it leaves me wondering if those who are geographically close to suffering have a greater obligation to do something about it than those who are far away but just as aware.The storytelling style is entrancing, and the details are sometimes gritty, sometimes exotic, and sometimes mundane.