I'm excited to share a review written by fellow author/blogger Kate Gray on her blog Gray Skies, reflecting on Because We Are. It's an in-depth look at the book, its central mystery, weighty ideas, and heavy themes, and a useful primer for anyone considering accompanying Libète and Jak on their perilous journey:

"Certainly we all think of Haiti in particular terms, here in the U.S. We don’t have the “history” with the island nation that France does, for instance. I’m sure many of us think immediately of dictatorships (Baby Doc Duvalier), unrest, UN interventions, and finally, The Earthquake. And because we live in a first world nation, where we readily ignore the starving and impoverished already living side by side with us, it’s all too easy to forget the woes of third world nations. Because we want to."That said, we can look to Haiti as a land with a particular ethos, even if that sensibility gets clouded from time to time. “Libète, Egalité, Fraternité” Moreover, it is the phrase, “because we are,” that is at the heart of this novel. Oswald does his level best to remind us, far more gently than might be warranted, that it is we who have muddied the waters. Rather than read this deep and engaging work with a sense of nagging guilt, however, one ought to read with a feeling of awe. I know that this is a complete work of fiction – but it might as well be documentary. There are probably far too many stories bearing resemblance to those of the characters Libète, Jak, Davidson, Aunt Estelle, Lolo, and Elize. There is grinding poverty. There are people who die of AIDS all the time. There are good people, those who struggle with good or bad choices, and then those who do bad things for thousands of reasons. There are girls (and probably boys) who have disappeared by the hundreds, and only their families know their names. Reading this novel may not give those lost souls their lives back – but it may help the living.

Oswald has managed to put some magic into the telling of an otherwise (extremely) grim tale. Perhaps it’s the result of how he deftly breaks the bad news up into bite-sized pieces, delivering us our poison incrementally. It’s also due to how well he tells his story of a young girl who refuses to accept her fate at face value."

Click here to read the rest of the review on Gray Skies.

I’m extremely excited to announce the release of my book, Because We Are: A Novel of Haiti, seeing it roughly coincide with the third anniversary of the 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake.

The January 12 quake was one of the most tragic events in human memory, andBecause We Are is set against this staggering backdrop. A mystery at heart, the book follows a brash girl and a brilliant boy as they try to find the truth behind the murder of a mother and her infant child on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. They soon find themselves wrapped up in events that spiral beyond their control, both natural and man-made. 

As many of you know, the story is born from my personal experience in Haiti mere months after the quake, and it’s especially appropriate to share on this anniversary when the world's attention once again fixes on Haiti and the quake's human toll. You might recall that the book is a "nonprofit novel," and all net proceeds will be donated to a number of outstanding organizations promoting sustainable development and human rights in Haiti. 

I’d love to share this story with you and your community. To celebrate the book's launch this week, and commemorate the quake, there are a few special announcements to share:

-Download the Kindle Ebook tomorrow and Friday for FREE--and tell your friends! 
In order to help the book reach the widest possible audience, I’m making the ebook downloadable for free from Amazon for two days. Just visit here today and tomorrow to download your free copy and have it in your Kindle library in seconds. 

-Purchase a stunning paperback copy for 15% off now through January 13th. 
This is the best way to enjoy the book, and provides the most money to organizations in Haiti. Just visit here and enter this discount code at checkout: AGYWGHGX. 

-Attend the Book Launch Event in Philadelphia. 
Coming January 29th from 7 - 8:15pm, join me at a special event at Drexel Law School (3320 Market Street) to hear more about the book and enjoy a reception to follow. You can RSVP and find more information here on Facebook. Copies of the book will be available for sale and inscription.

-Not ready to purchase a copy? 
Enter to win one of three paperback copies on the community reading site Goodreads. Just sign up here between now and January 13th. (You’ll need a Goodreads account.)

For more information about the book, and other ways to connect, please visit BecauseWeAre.com

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