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Title details for Haiti After the Earthquake by Paul Farmer - Available

Haiti After the Earthquake

by Paul Farmer
Meryl Streep
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
On January 12, 2010, a major earthquake struck near Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Hundreds of thousands of people died, and the greater part of the capital was demolished. Dr. Paul Farmer, U.N. deputy special envoy to Haiti, who had worked in the country for nearly thirty years treating infectious diseases like tuberculosis and AIDS, and former President Bill Clinton, the U.N. special envoy to Haiti, had just begun to work on an extensive development plan to improve living conditions in Haiti. Now their project was transformed into a massive international rescue and relief effort. In his own words, Farmer documents this effort, including the harrowing obstacles and the small triumphs. Despite an outpouring of aid, the challenges were astronomical. U.N. plans were crippled by Haiti's fragile infrastructure and the death of U.N. staff members who had been based in Port-au-Prince. In chronicling the relief effort, Farmer draws attention to the social issues that made Haiti so vulnerable to this natural disaster. Yet Farmer's account is not a gloomy catalog of impenetrable problems. As devastating as Haiti's circumstances are, its population manages to keep going. Farmer shows how, even in the barest camps, Haitians organize themselves, creating small businesses such as beauty parlors. His narrative is interwoven with stories from Haitians themselves and from doctors and others working on the ground. Ultimately this is a story of human endurance and humility in difficult circumstances and seemingly overwhelming odds.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Awards

  • Release date

    August 16, 2011

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781611744255
      • File size: 406966 KB
      • Duration: 14:07:50

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Listeners can immediately believe they are hearing Paul Farmer himself deliver his eloquent broadcast of the voices of those affected by the disastrous earthquake in Haiti in January 2010. Eric Conger captures not only the matter-of-fact tone of Dr. Farmer, founder of Partners in Health and UN deputy special envoy for Haiti, but also the bold yet restrained compassion that fills Farmer's account. Additional essays by friends and colleagues make up the second part of the program. Edwidge Danticat and Michele Montas-Dominique deliver passionate readings of their works. Joia S. Mukerjee's heavily accented delivery of "Neg Mawon" resonates with anger on behalf of her country. Meryl Streep and Edoardo Ballerini give commanding and sensitive performances of several essays. The careful, respectful use of Haitian Creole is a welcome addition, as are clear introductions and an index to the essays. The scenes of unimaginable devastation and loss so vividly described can be hard listening, but Farmer's vision for "building back better" and the hope and commitment of his colleagues and friends remain indelible. S.J.H./R.F.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from October 31, 2011
      A physician and former United Nations deputy special envoy, Paul Farmer shares insights and experiences from his humanitarian work following the massive earthquake that devastated Haiti in 2010, while offering supplemental essays from a host of key players in the recovery process. In this audio edition—read by various narrators—Eric Conger effectively captures Farmer’s range of emotions, both those of a physician desperately seeking care for the wounded and of a public policy expert grown weary with the political forces that have contributed to the plight of the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Downplaying her star power, Meryl Streep provides a gentle maternal touch to several of the accompanying narratives and shines as Farmer’s wife, Didi, a Haitian-born anthropologist. And bestselling author Edwidge Danticat provides a memorable performance in describing the anxiety of Haitian-Americans awaiting news about the fate of loved ones in the hours and days following the disaster. A PublicAffairs hardcover.

    • Library Journal

      Starred review from December 1, 2011

      Farmer, the UN deputy special envoy for Haiti and chair of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard, describes the horrifying devastation of the 7.0 earthquake that hit Port-au-Prince on January 12, 2010, and points out how colonial rule, brutal dictatorships, ineffective economic policies, and uncoordinated NGO donations contributed to the destruction and slow recovery. He stresses the need to encourage a strong central government with careful planning and management of foreign aid in order to "build back better." Essays by Edwidge Danticat, Evan Lyon, and others provide moving, firsthand accounts of their experiences with the quake. Farmer and Meryl Streep convey hope and concern through their strong, clear narration. Highly recommended for anyone interested in knowing more about this proud nation trying to recover from natural disasters and years of dysfunction. ["Farmer demonstrates his deep love for Haiti while at the same time pushing for the drastic foreign and domestic reforms needed to rebuild this troubled nation," read the starred review of the PublicAffairs: Perseus hc, LJ 7/11.--Ed.]--Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

      Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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