An Untamed State

An Untamed State did not live up to some of the hype I had read about. It was certainly one of the most harrowing accounts of a kidnap and sexual violence I have ever read, but I felt that the novel was lacking a certain 'oomph' in other areas. Basically, the strongest prose and detail from the novel comes from Mireille's captivity, her reflections on her life in that hellish, untamed state, and the whirlwind of emotions, mindgames, and events that eventually lead to her liberation. Perhaps I am expecting too much from this novel, which is clearly about the prevalence of sexism and rape culture as well as the cages inside cages inside cages we experience, regardless of being kidnapped, but I would have liked to learn more about the details of the negotiations Sebastien Duval went through with the Commander, Laurent. It would have been very useful to learn more of the particularities of the ransom and deal reached between Mireille's father and her kidnappers, especially since it would show how much he values his youngest child's life (it must have been under one million US dollars, but no figure or number is shared after Mireille's 13 days of hell end).

Anyway, the second half of the book looks at Mireille's experiences with post-traumatic stress syndrome, coping with her injuries, feeling a permanent sense of danger and fear about men, and gaining some recovery, although she will never be the same. She never truly reconciles with her father after allowing her torment to last nearly a fortnight, but she makes peace and truly acknowledges how the US is her home, her identity. In some ways, it's quite a horrifying way for a Haitian-American to become 'American,' after undergoing several days in the Inferno, to be so irrevocably removed from her parents' identity and longing for 'home.' Throughout the novel, commentary on rape, sexualized violence, and the danger Mireille experiences in the US certainly belies Fabienne's point, however, that "Mr. America" (Mireille's husband, Michael) has a very selective memory of the US, since poverty and sexual violence occur there in ways that endanger Mireille, too. Thus, a woman is always in danger when around men, and Mireille's rupture from her former self includes a rupture with Haiti, the childhood home away from home she cherishes. One should certainly read this novel, and appreciate it as one of several examples of the flourishing, nascent Haitian-American literature.