I am Going Where I Belong by Hans Lindor

I Am Going to Where I Belong by Hans Lindor begins in Haiti where 14 year-old Hans Leger is a member of a privileged family. A detour by the family chauffeur one day has Hans and his younger brother seeing a part of Haiti that was hidden from him. He is intrigued by a girl he sees watching a ballet show on a television in a store window while braiding her hair. At her side is a young child that shows all the signs of hunger, Hans skips school the next day to go back and find this girl. What he finds opens his eyes to the unequal conditions in his country, and he promises the girl and her son that he will do his best to return the next day. But, later that evening a coup occurs and Hans’ father is gunned down before his family. Hans, his brother and mother are able to escape and allowed to be evacuated to the United States to live with his maternal grandmother in Miami. Thinking that they are escaping to a safe place, little do they know that this is just the beginning of the tragedies they will face.

Once again Hans Lindor has written a story with a political statement. Because of the sameness of the names of the author and the main character, at times you feel as if you are reading a memoir instead of a fiction novel. This technique allows you to see the world through Hans’s eyes as he adjusts to being a black teenage immigrant in a place that only sees him one way. Throughout the story Haiti is front and center and the characters are used to discuss the political issues that affect Haitian immigrants and the effect of the Haitian government’s policies on their people.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy coming-of-age stories and stories that focus on immigrant issues. Readers who are interested in Haiti will also enjoy this book and will give thought to the author’s point-of-view on his solution for Haiti.

Reviewed by Beverly