Texaco

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In this work, Patrick Chamoiseau reimagines the history of Martinique through the eyes of Marie-Sophie Laborieux, a daughter of slaves. The narrative spans 150 years, beginning with the birth of her father, Esternome, on a sugar plantation in the early 19th century, and culminating in Marie-Sophie founding Texaco, a shanty town near Fort-de-France. The story unfolds with a blend of imagination and rich language, comparable to the works of Salman Rushdie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It opens in the present with an urban planner, mistaken for Christ by Texaco's residents, before diving back to Esternome's origins, including his father's death, suspected of witchcraft by a plantation owner. The novel chronicles Esternome's journey from freedom to the allure of St. Pierre, the "City" for the disenfranchised black population, before the volcanic eruption transforms it into the outskirts of Fort-de-France. With Marie-Sophie's birth, the narrative progresses through two world wars, riots, famine, and political unrest. The underlying tension between "City," symbolizing France, and the countryside reflects the collective consciousness of black Martinique.