The Fourth Century (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780803270831)

The Fourth Century tells of the quest by young Mathieu Béluse to discover the lost history of his country, Martinique. Aware that the officially recorded version he learned in school omits and distorts, he turns to a quimboiseur named Papa Longoué. This old man of the forest, a healer, seer, and storyteller, knows the oral tradition and its relation to the powers of the land and the forces of nature. He tells of the love-hate relationship between the Longoué and Béluse families, whose ancestors were brought as slaves to Martinique. Upon arrival, Longoué immediately escaped and went to live in the hills as a maroon. Béluse remained in slavery. The intense relationship that had formed between the two men in Africa continued and came to encompass the relations between their masters, or, in the case of Longoué, his would-be master, and their descendants. The Fourth Century closes the gap between the families as Papa Longoué, last of his line, conveys the history to Mathieu Béluse, who becomes his heir.

Author: Betsy Wing, Édouard Glissant
ISBN-10: 0803270836
ISBN-13: 9780803270831
Publisher: Bison Books
Language: English
Published: 04/01/2001
Pages: 295
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.00h x 5.51w x 0.64d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 04/02/2001 pg. 41
Kirkus Reviews 04/15/2001 pg. 542
Booklist 04/15/2001 pg. 1533
Multicultural Review 12/01/2001 pg. 68