The full title of this review by Guy Étienne (Martinique la 1ère) is “’Piton vert’, premier roman historique d’une trilogie sur Saint-Pierre en Martinique, avant 1902” [‘Piton vert’, first historical novel in a trilogy about Saint-Pierre in Martinique, before 1902]. The novel, Piton Vert, les secrets d’une habitation en Martinique 1830, by Karine Guatel, was published by Éditions de L’Harmattan in 2024. Here are excerpts.
Karine Guatel, the author of this book, takes us back to 1830, the year 12-year-old Jules discovered Saint-Pierre. The young orphan then plunged into “a world of plantations, slavery, and human passions,” alongside his uncle. At the time, the town was nicknamed “Petit Paris” before the volcanic eruption of 1902; today, it is recognized as a “Town of Art and History” [Ville d’art et d’histoire].
“Pitons Vert” is perhaps the first historical book you’ll read this fall, 2025-2026, about the town of Saint-Pierre and the secrets of a 19th-century Martinique settlement: the year is 1830.
Jules, a 12-year-old orphan, arrives one day in July at “Petit Paris” in the north of the territory where his uncle Charles is waiting for him, after a long boat journey from mainland France. “Jules will discover a new way of life and a new environment, confronting the realities of an island that lives off the plantation economy, based on slavery.” [. . .]
The plantation in question was located in Haut Carbet, in the foothills of the mountain, in a place called “Piton Vert” (…). “I discovered what work on the plantation was like. I saw these many slaves busy themselves with grueling tasks,” the young boy recounts. “Only the wrinkles on their faces bore witness to their weariness of life.” [. . .]
Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For original review, see https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/martinique/saint-pierre-martinique/piton-vert-premier-roman-historique-d-une-trilogie-sur-saint-pierre-en-martinique-avant-1902-1620998.html2
For purchasing information, see https://www.fnac.com/a20275286/Karine-Guatel-Piton-Vert#pages
The full title of this review by Guy Étienne (Martinique la 1ère) is “’Piton vert’, premier roman historique d’une trilogie sur Saint-Pierre en Martinique, avant 1902” [‘Piton vert’, first historical novel in a trilogy about Saint-Pierre in Martinique, before 1902]. The novel, Piton Vert, les secrets d’une habitation en Martinique 1830, by Karine Guatel, was
