[6]
[7]
[8] “you found yourself a woman, business is good!”: In the original, Mme Potiron uses Creole, “oil joindre femme affaire ou bon!”(trans.).
[9] grumpy
[10]
[11] black hill folk: In the original, the author uses a creolism, “les negres des mornes,” without italics.
[12]
[13] cat’s-tongue tea: a calming herbal tea brewed from borage
[14] old Grandet: In Balzac’s Eugenie Grandet, the miserly father of the heroine (trans).
[15] Antiphelic Milk: skin lotion used to fade freckles, but used here as a skin lightener
[16] Messalina’s ardor: the Roman empress Messalina, c. 22-48, wife of Claudius and a reputed nymphomaniac (trans).
[17] President Leconte: General Cincinnatus Leconte, president of Haiti from 1911 to 1912
[18] “little soldiers”: Petits soldats was the name given to the members of the lower class who made up the Haitian police of the time.
[19] Sophie Fichini: the abused heroine of
[20] Tancrede Auguste: president of Haiti, 1912-13
[21] Cacos: revolutionaries from the north.
[22] Vilbrun Guillaume Sam: Leader of the revolt that brought President Leconte to power, Sam served as president of Haiti briefly in 1915, before his execution of political prisoners led to his murder by an angry mob, which precipitated the U.S. occupation of Haiti from 1915 to 1934
[23] President Dartiguenave’s government: Philippe Sudre Dartiguenave, president of Haiti from 1915 to 1922 (trans).
[24] Marchaterre Massacre: On December 6, 1929, U.S. Marines opened fire on unarmed peasants during a peaceful demonstration
[25] Salammbo: priestess of ancient Carthage, the title character of an 1862 novel by Gustave Flaubert (trans).
[26] Emma Bovary: central character in Gustave Flaubert’s 1856 novel
[27] poisoned rat: Haitian expression meaning miserable and burning up inside.
[28] Lysius Salomon’s rule: president of Haiti, 1879-88.
[29]
[30] fifty gourdes: One gourde = $0.20, according to the author; this was true
