Cathedral of the August Heat, Pierre Clitandre’s first novel in English and the first novel from Haitian French translated for a new generation, is a modern classic reflecting the kaleidoscope of Haitian life and the struggle of the very poorest people of the Americas that still goes on today.

The vibrant action of the novel leads towards the August Feast of the Assumption of our Lady, a date of symbolic importance not only in religious terms but also politically as the first day of the uprising in 1791 that led to the establishment of the world’s first independent black republic and the first society to abolish slavery after the French Revolution. This key date lies behind Pierre Clitandre’s dynamic, colorful and unforgettable portrait of Haiti’s shantytown dwellers brought to the brink of rebellion.

Recommended by EDWIDGE DANTICAT: "Pierre Clitandre’s Cathedral of the August Heat is a compelling and captivating novel that takes us deep into the heart of a turbulent time in Port-au-Prince. Through the eyes of the witty and determined John, a tap-tap driver, we see the unique inhabitants of this gorgeously chaotic city in all their nuance and complexities. We witness their dreams and nightmares as they attempt yet another rebellion to change the course of their lives. This novel follows in the great tradition of those lyrical and political novels which portray the nuances of a world we think we know while unveiling both the beauty and horrors surrounding a nation and its people who, in spite of many attempts at destroying them, refuse to be either defeated or conquered.”

"Powerful moments, and a lively translation by the poet Bridget Jones” New York Times Book Review

“This extraordinary book…encapsulates what ‘the Third World’ is all about.” The Guardian

“A dreamlike prayer for Haitian liberation…compelling and forceful.” KIRKUS

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ISBN 9780930523312

$16.95