About the Book This breathtaking debut novel has captured an armful of awards--including the Horn Book Fanfare List, Booklist Editors Choice, and the 1993 Jane Addams Childrens Book Award. Frances Temple tells the story of the fight against military dictatorship in Haiti. An excellent first effort.--School Library Journal. Book Synopsis Every Life Makes a Story Djo has a story: Once he was one of Titids boys, a vital member of Father Jean-Bertrand Aristides election team, fighting to overthrow military dictatorship in Haiti. Now he is barely alive, the victim of a political firebombing. Jeremie has a story: Convent-educated Jeremie can climb out of the slums of Port-au-Prince. But she is torn between her mothers hopes and her own wishes for herself ... and for Haiti. Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide has a story: A dream of a new Haiti, one in which every person would have a decent life ... a house with a roof ... clean water to drink ... a good plate of rice and beans every day ... a field to work in. At Aristides request, Djo tells his story to Jeremie -- for Titid believes in the power of all of their stories to make change. As Jeremie listens to Djo, and to her own heart, she knows that they will begin a new story, one that is all their own, together. Review Quotes Gripping ... The combination of dramatic action, romantic interest, and vivid storytelling will grab even the most apolitical teens. (boxed review) -- ALA BooklistLyrical ... no background knowledge is needed to become caught up in the drama of the many in this embattled land as related through the eyes of two compelling characters. An excellent first effort.- (starred review)-- Scbool Libraty JournalArresting ... a powerful fictional portrait of the poverty and oppression in contemporary Haiti. (starred review)-- Publishers Weekly