Can the fabric of a friendship be rewoven?

side by side of a woman and a book
Myriam J. A. Chancy was inspired by her Haitian roots to write about a female friendship that spans the island and time in her new book, "Village Weavers."
Photo by N. Affonso | Book cover courtesy of Tin House

Myriam J. A. Chancy spent her childhood in Haiti and then moved with her family to Winnipeg. But those island roots shaped who she became and inspired her latest novel, “Village Weavers.”

It follows a complicated female friendship that spans decades and countries. Growing up in 1940s Port-au-Prince, Gertie and Sisi are enthralled with each other — until their families discover a secret and force them apart. As girls, they didn’t understand why. But as they grow and weave in and out of each other’s lives, the secrets and lies become a burden to great to carry.

Chancy joined host Kerri Miller for this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas to talk about the grief of a ruptured friendship, the love of ancestral lands and how Haiti today bears both the scars and the hopes of its past.

Guest:

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