Set against the backdrop of the violent post-Duvalier years in Haiti, this novel traces the development of Sophie, the product of a violent rape. Having been raised lovingly by her aunt in a village near Port-au-Prince for 12 years, Sophie is suddenly sent for by her mother (who had immigrated to the United States as an asylum seeker). Living in New York, Sophie discovers that her mother is haunted by violent nightmares, a remnant of the trauma she had suffered before fleeing Haiti. Part Two opens as Sophie, now 18, falls in love with her neighbor, a musician named Joseph. Her mother, upon finding out about Sophie's love interest, begins the humiliating tradition of her mother, testing" Sophie's virginity by inserting a finger in her vagina to make sure the hymen was not broken. After several tests," Sophie painfully breaks her own hymen with a pestle and immediately runs off with Joseph. Part Three of the novel opens about a year later, when Sophie has left her husband and returns to Haiti with her baby daughter. Here, she begins learning about her mother's past as well as telling her aunt and grandmother about her own current sexual dysfunction and her bulimia. Sophie and her mother reunite and reconcile in Haiti and later return to the States where Sophie returns to Joseph and begins a kind of therapy that includes rituals from Haitian, African, and Chicana traditions. Meanwhile, Sophie's mother becomes pregnant (by her long time lover and friend) and increasingly agitated, finally committing suicide. At the funeral, in Haiti, Sophie runs into the cane field where her mother had been raped some 20 years earlier. As she is screaming her grief and rage, she tears at the cane stalks. Rather than attempting to stop her, Sophie's aunt and grandmother watch her, finally asking, are you free?" and then insisting, " You are free!" (p. 233)
Stanford, Ann Folwell
Excerpted, with permission, from the Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database at New York University School of Medicine, © New York University.

Trauma and Sexual Violence
The novel delves into the intergenerational trauma caused by sexual violence, as Sophie's mother Martine was raped at a young age, leading her to impose harmful "testing" rituals on Sophie to ensure her virginity. This cycle of abuse and its lasting psychological impacts on women is a central focus.

Mother-Daughter Relationships
The complex, fraught relationship between Sophie and her mother Martine is explored, shaped by Martine's own trauma, cultural expectations, and her attempts to instill certain values in Sophie. Their bond evolves as Sophie comes to understand her mother's past.

Haitian Culture and Identity
Danticat vividly portrays Haitian culture, traditions, folklore, and the challenges of navigating identity for Haitian immigrants like Sophie who move to the United States. The novel highlights the difficulties of assimilation and maintaining cultural ties.

Memory and the Past
Memory plays a crucial role, as the characters grapple with haunting memories of trauma, loss, and their connection to their personal histories and Haitian heritage. The novel suggests confronting and reframing memories is necessary for healing.

Gender Roles and Patriarchy
The novel critiques patriarchal structures and expectations placed on women in Haitian society, exploring how practices like virginity testing and gender-based violence stem from female oppression.

In summary, "Breath, Eyes, Memory" is a poignant exploration of trauma, cultural identity, gender dynamics, and the powerful bonds and struggles within families and communities