By Marissa Wells
Contributing Writer
“The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe” by Marlene L. Daut is an insightful new book that shares the captivating history of the life and legacy of Henry Christophe, the controversial revolutionary and only king of Haiti.
Inspiration for her book came from her discovery of Christophe during college.
“Although the Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) had become something of a staple in the lyrical West Indian worlds I was immersed in, I had somehow missed the fascinating, and at times notorious, history of the king of Haiti,” Daut said.
Her interest deepened as she explored the various fictional portrayals of Christophe by notable writers and playwrights.
“Most of these portrayals verged on demonization and caricature though, and so I wanted to really sink into Christophe’s real life to try to separate the man from the myth, as the saying goes,” Daut said.
“The First and Last King of Haiti” is intended for a wide audience of general readers, especially those curious about history.
“The book not only encourages a wide reassessment of life after slavery but exposes the numerous factors that have longitudinally contributed to the precarious uncertainty in which the inhabitants of today’s Haiti live,” Daut said. “Neither giving way to hagiography or outright condemnation, this book tells complicated, nuanced, and in the end a true story about King Henry and the dreams he had for himself and the Haitian people.”
Within the book, Daut delves not only into the subject’s incredible life but also the magnificent story of Haiti’s history.
“My goal in producing public scholarship about this less well-known part of Haiti’s past is to not only be a part of the conversation but to help shape it,” Daut said. “And what I hope will ultimately emerge from my purposefully nuanced assessment of Christophe-era primary sources, is that understanding the world the king made means understanding that the world he lived in was one where Black freedom was constantly under threat.”
In addition to being an author, Daut is a professor of French, African American studies and history at Yale University. She lives with her family in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information about the author and her work, visit marlenedaut.com.
“The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe” is available for $40 via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, and all independent bookstores.
