In Darkness by Nick Lake

In Darkness

Nick Lake

Shorty is a young boy growing up in the slums in contemporary Haiti. He becomes involved in the gangster culture of the district. Running parallel to this is the story of Toussaint l'Ouverture who lead a slave rebellion in the 18th century. What is their connection? Life in the slums is traumatic and horrific as is the language which describes it. A powerful and very disturbing read.

Extract
I am a killer and I have been killed, too, over and over; I am constantly being born. I have lost more things than I have found; I have destroyed more things than I have built. I have seen babies abandoned in the trash and I have seen the dead come back to life.
I first shot a man when I was twelve years old.
I have no name. There are no names in the darkness cos there is no one else, only me and I already know who I am (I am the voice in the dark, calling out for your help), and I have no questions for myself and no need to call upon myself for anything, except to remember.
Parallels
  • Mr Clarinet by Nick Stone
  • The Comedians by Graham Greene
  • The Black Napoleon-Toussant L'ouverture Liberator of Haiti by James Jesse Hannon