Infused with magical realism, this story blends first love and political intrigue with a quest for justice and self-determination in 1930s Haiti.

Sixteen-year-old Lucille hopes to one day open a school alongside her best friend where girls just like them can learn what it means to be Haitian: to learn from the mountains and the forests around them, to carve, to sew, to draw, and to sing the songs of the Mapou, the sacred trees that dot the island nation. But when her friend vanishes without a trace, a dream—a gift from the Mapou—tells Lucille to go to her village’s section chief, the local face of law, order, and corruption, which puts her life and her family’s at risk.
Forced to flee her home, Lucille takes a servant post with a wealthy Haitian woman from society’s elite in Port-au-Prince. Despite a warning to avoid him, she falls in love with her employer’s son. But when their relationship is found out, she must leave again—this time banished to another city to work for a visiting American writer and academic conducting fieldwork in Haiti. While Lucille’s new employer studies vodou and works on the novel that will become Their Eyes Were Watching God, Lucille risks losing everything she cares about—and any chance of seeing her best friend again—as she fights to save their lives and secure her future in this novel in verse with the racing heart of a thriller.

Nadine Pinede's profile page

Nadine Pinede is the daughter of Haitian exiles from the Duvalier dictatorship. She created her own interdisciplinary major at Harvard and then continued on to Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. She also has an MFA in fiction and poetry and holds a PhD from Indiana University.

“Written in stunning verse, When the Mapou Sings—with its original premise, vivid setting, and compelling characters—will carve a permanent place in your heart.” —Cordelia Jensen, author of Skyscraping

“Lucille both flees home and searches for it, guided by mapou trees, butterflies, birds, and her own carvings of them, as if singing back their songs. Through lyrical language and sometimes harrowing scenes, I met complicated characters who introduced me to some of Haiti’s history and expanded my sense of the world.” —Jeannine Atkins, author of Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science

“Set against the backdrop of Haiti in the 1930s, When the Mapou Sings transports readers to the heart and mind of sixteen-year-old Lucille, forced to work in exile, away from her family, after standing up to oppressive local authorities. On a quest to reunite with her best friend, Lucille is derailed by her circumstances again and again but refuses to give up. Through incredibly rich historical details, Lucille’s story springs to life in gorgeous poetry that sings. Truly a book to savor.” —Kip Wilson, author of White Rose and The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin

“Haiti in the early 1930s is both backdrop and metaphor in this coming-of-age story of a courageous girl who must face danger, separation, and first love, all in the looming shadow of her beloved country’s uncertain—and dangerous—political future. Sixteen-year-old Lucille has been gifted with an ability to hear the prophetic spirits residing in Haiti’s mapou trees and to unlock the figures hidden within the bits of wood she carves. Speaking out against injustice and corruption, Lucille is forced to leave her family to take a series of domestic positions, presenting both obstacles and opportunities, all while she attempts to solve the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. For my part, I really appreciate how Lucille’s authentic first-person narration incorporates Haitian Creole. Written in a compelling voice with uncluttered, accessible verse, When the Mapou Sings is a lovely blend of poetry, history, suspense, and magical realism, just the way I like it.” —Allan Wolf, author of The Watch That Ends the Night

“With a tenderness born of deep understanding, Nadine Pinede takes her characters—and her readers—on a journey requiring great courage and wisdom. She offers both through the lively voice of Lucille, with the comforting accompaniment of the mapou tree.” —Helen Frost, author of Hidden and Diamond Willow

“Through dazzling free verse, Pinede brilliantly imagines a life for teenager Lucille, who assisted Zora Neale Hurston during her fateful months in 1930s Haiti. But here, Lucille is the main character, with soaring dreams, a love for her land, and the passion and commitment to protect those she loves and to change the world around her. Readers will be inspired by this remarkable protagonist and her story.” —Lyn Miller-Lachmann, author of Torch and Eyes Open

“1930s Haiti comes alive in this unique and richly imagined coming-of-age tale of a girl finding her way in a country on the brink of change. Pinede’s debut is poignant, searing, and timely.” —Stacey Lee, New York Times best-selling author of Reese’s Book Club pick The Downstairs Girl
“When the Mapou Sings is stunning in every sense of the word. Lucille, the book’s young protagonist, captivated me from the very first page and never let me go. She is righteous, passionate, courageous, and wise beyond her years. Like Zora Neale Hurston, whom she winds up working for through a series of unexpected events, Lucille is an independent thinker and a force to be reckoned with. The two, at first wary of each other, form a deep bond that changes both their lives forever. And all this is told in gorgeously written verse that at times literally took my breath away. This is a beautiful book.” —Lesléa Newman, author of October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard
“When the Mapou Sings is steeped in love, courage, and longing. Nadine Pinede is a wonder.” —Tananarive Due, author of The Reformatory, a New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year

“I felt Lucille’s passion and power through every poem—her love for the mapou, which gives her courage and comfort, and her fierce dedication to discovering what’s become of her beloved Fifina. With lyricism that sings, Nadine Pinede’s writing takes the reader on a journey of what it means to stand up and speak your truth even when the consequences are grave.” —Tami Charles, author of the New York Times best seller All Because You Matter
“Pinede has gifted us a rare glimpse into an island nation brimming with hope, resilience, and beauty. With lush verse that brings 1930s Haiti to life, a young heroine, Lucille, embarks on a journey to find her true gifts while helping shape a vital part of American literary history. When the Mapou Sings is a stunning tribute to Haitian girlhood, history, and culture and an homage to some of our greatest American icons.” —Ibi Zoboi, National Book Award Finalist and Coretta Scott King Author Award winner