What Storm What Thunder by Myriam J. Chancy

“What is invisible and yet still lives is more powerful than monuments or words engraved in stone.“

What Storm What Thunder brought me to tears over and over again. It’s a devastating novel based on *Douz: the 2010 Earthquake in Haiti that demolished the capital. (The event happened January 12. 12 = Douz in Haitian Kreyol)

As you travel between characters and learn about their experiences that day, you weave in and out of their backstories and learn about all the connections in the community. These connections, at first, seem normal and familial. In the end, these connections have developed a network of love, care, and chaos that pulls at your heart strings and brings you to tears.

What Storm What Thunder provides a beautiful affirmation of community, of the strength of a people, and of the collective humanity we share. It also provides strong commentary on white saviorism, the impact & intent of NGO’s and rescue efforts, the heartlessness of capitalism, the conflicts between spirituality and religion, and the true power of grief.

It is beautifully written - a gorgeous story with a strong message.

At the very end, one of the older characters shares a teaching about bone marrow - that spirits may leave the body but the marrow is to be protected, there is energy there. I instantly thought of The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, another work of fiction but with strong ties to real events, and how so many teachings are truly cross-cultural and have been globally colonized. It was an unexpected and beautiful end to the novel.

It was also impressive to me that while the book is told through numerous points of view, the story continues to unfold with strong connections and there are no questions that left unanswered, or things that felt as though they were left unsaid.

In short, my review is that this book will emotionally destroy you but you should 100% read it.