Alicia Maldonado: A Book To Read

By Marie-Jeannine MyrthilParis, France. Catherine, a good friend of the author has been crying for many years over the disappearance of her beloved mother in-law. But one day, in a Laundromat somewhere in Florida, a woman walks in, holding the hand of a young child. “It’s me Manmita.” Alicia turns around and, in a flicker of an eyelid, it is understood as the two women interlace in stupefaction.Eyewitness to this unbelievable discovery, the doctor in Philosophy and in Education, Ardain Isma, decides to go back in time to retell the marvelous and tragic story of Alicia. Born in Cuba from Irish and Spanish parents, Alicia and her family take refuge in Haiti after fleeing the dictatorship of Batista. Living in Les Cayes, she meets and marries a mulatto named Laveaux. The marriage produces two children, but her husband dies unexpectedly. She then moves to Port-au-Prince and meets Georges Duplan, an officer of the Haitian army. They marry and their union produces two children.Just like Alicia, Georges is already the father of two children from a previous marriage, of which, one of them, Catherine, develops a profound admiration for her mother in-law. Alicia who has known life in exile and has suffered the loss of her family, believes she could finally find peace. But destiny seems to have decided otherwise. Georges has a secret love affair with a neighbor. He gets caught and promises to discontinue his affair.The rival, a certain Rosita, declares to Alicia one night, she will get her husband whether she likes it or not. Disillusioned, Alicia, without any explanation, flees to the Bahamas with her youngest child. Trapped in the Bahamas, Alicia has to struggle against hunger, poverty, and the constant feeling of guilt for leaving her most precious belongings in Haiti. Arriving in Miami, years later, Alicia dies shortly after reuniting with her family.Ardain Isma, fascinated by this tumultuous and rather sad life contributes a kind of therapy by giving Alicia the possibility to rid herself of the heavy toll resulting in this sober existence. Alicia is gone, but she leaves behind this hymn of perseverance, combativeness, and love for all of us to dwell on. This book is a treasure that Dr. Isma, a married father of four children, came to share with us.This sympathetic and jovial personage has come here to promote his book that will soon be translated in French. “A Mother Lost” has had good success since released a few months ago. In fact, about a thousand copies have already been sold. More importantly, the book will soon be studied as a literary work in universities. Richlicia, one of the children of Alicia, has met and fell in love with a Haitian in Paris. This romance has convinced her to return to Haiti to regain her Haitian origins. To that end, the author will give us a follow-up to this novel by accompanying Richlicia in search of her roots.Tirelessly, our author envisions writing other books. One of them will focus on the presence of Joseph Laroche and his wife, Marie Louise, who perished on board the Titanic in 1912. Another book will be devoted to legendary author and revolutionary, Jacques Stephen Alexis, to whom the author will pay tribute for giving his life in an attempt to change the Haiti’s political landscape for a better tomorrow. We can’t help ourselves but to salute and encourage the author in his remarkable endeavors.Marie-Jeannine Myrhtil lives in Paris and maybe reached at mjmyrthil@hotmail.com