Farewell, Fred Voodoo

I finally read Amy Wilentz's commendable Farewell, Fred Voodoo. Unfortunately, it lacks the biting punch of Jonathan M. Katz's investigative journalism on the subject, but compensates by bringing great affection, a longer history of commitment and interest in Haiti, and providing portraits of some of the leading figures in the reconstruction effort with great depth. Indeed, I had no idea who Megan Coffee is, the power of Digicel in Haiti, or the nuances of Sean Penn's work in Haiti. If you do not expect something of great academic or historical meaning, this is a well-written love letter to the people of Haiti. Alas, Wilentz probably repeats some historical errors (can one really say Haiti has never had a 'good' government?) and at times I wish she delved deeper into her thoughts on Aristide, but she has written an excellent text on the relief efforts, the innate problems of how humanitarian aid and NGOs are part of a long history of globalization and exploitation in Haiti.