A novel about crisis — in this case the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 — which explores the way people find ways to cope even in the darkest of times. The messages in Myriam’s novel — those of hope, courage, resilience, and the importance of community — are ideas that will resonate with readers at this time and far into the future.

TWELVE
by Myriam J. A. Chancy
Tin House, publication date TBD

Embracing the ambition of Marlon James’ and the vivid storytelling of Bernadine Evaristo, TWELVE skillfully interweaves the lives of a group of people, all linked through friendships and family, before, during and after the catastrophic Haitian earthquake. Chancy reveals the inner lives of each of her characters, drawing the reader into their hopes, dreams and regrets, and recounts how each of them do — or do not — survive. TWELVE is a masterful literary portrait of a group of citizens in Port au Prince as they struggle in the face of disaster.

« Myriam Chancy has written a gorgeous and compulsively readable, page-turner in the most haunting and stunning prose. This novel is exactly what we need during this time of uncertainty and crisis. Twelve’s characters reveal to us how to bend and not break when facing loss, grief, and displacement. If you love the works of Jesmyn Ward, Edwidge Danticat and J.M Coetzee, this is the book for you! Absolutely breathtaking! » —Angie Cruz, author of Dominicana, nominated for the 2020 Women’s Prize

Myriam J. A. Chancy is a Haitian-Canadian-American writer and a fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. She is currently the Hartley Burr Alexander Chair of Humanities at Scripps College in California. As a writer, she focuses on Haitian culture, gender, class, sexuality, and Caribbean women’s studies. Her novels have won several awards, including the prestigious Guyana Prize in Literature Caribbean Award.