Description

The tales of one family and their largerthanmanylives sister Antoine weaves together the vibrant epic story of Guadaloupe and its diaspora

A young woman born in the suburbs of Pariswhose skin color and memories of occasional childhood visits alone connect her to her fathers native Guadeloupeyearns to understand her lineage and her mtis identity Upon her request her old aunt Antoine the eccentric and indomitable family matriarch unveils the history of the Ezechiel clan and with it that of the island over the course of the twentieth century

In a spirited account punctuated by interludes from other family members Antoine tells her life story a childhood spent deep in the countryside an illfated romance between her upperclass mother and farmer father the splendors and slums of the capital city PointePitre the eruption of modernity the rifts in a deeply hierarchical society under colonial ruleand the reasons she left it all behind

Through the unforgettable story of the Ezechiels a richly textured account of the Guadeloupean diaspora emerges spanning decades and crossing the Atlantic With lush language and vivid storytelling EstelleSarah Bulles Where Dogs Bark with Their Tails examines the legacies of capitalism and colonialism the loss of a beloved mother what it means to be caught between worlds and how we might reconcile past present and future