TASTE OF SALT

Incidents in Haiti's turbulent recent history are seen through the eyes of two Port-au-Prince teenagers in a poignant (doubly so, considering subsequent events) first novel. Djo and Jeremie are both from the slums. Djo ``almost went to school,'' spent years living with and helping the revolutionary priest Jean-Bertrand Aristide, and now lies in a clinic, badly injured after a firebombing. Jeremie, an honor student, has been moved to sit at Djo's bedside, listen to his story, and later, when he falls into a coma, tell hers. Though the two have very different personalities—cheerful Djo sees the world as a simple place; Jeremie finds it full of shadows and uncertainty—they've both seen grinding poverty, survived bloody Macoute attacks, and fervently support the newly elected Aristide; both hope for a brighter future. In voodoo lore, a pinch of salt can give a zombie self-awareness and escape; here, Temple offers such a taste while celebrating the revolutionary movement that has given the Haitian people a taste of escape from oppression. (Fiction. 12+)