Sugar

Christopher Pilie's "Sugar" is a riveting historical novel set in late 18th Century Saint-Domingue, now known as Haiti. It offers a stirring narrative of the beginning of the Haitian Revolution through the eyes of slaves fighting for freedom, the minority Grand Blancs, and the Affranchis—all ensnared in a rigid caste system. This epic tale weaves through the intellectual debates of the Enlightenment and the violent uprisings against the French colonial powers. Readers will find themselves amid suspenseful battles, dramatic insurrections, and a society on the brink of monumental change.

The year 1791 marked a pivotal moment, with Saint-Domingue at the heart of global shifts in power. The American and French Revolutions had set a precedent that resonated with the oppressed in the colony. Enlightenment ideals challenged medieval norms, instigating worldwide rejection of monarchies and slavery. Pilie’ explores how these ideas, while progressive, also sowed seeds for later conflicts and authoritarian regimes.

This time predates Nietzsche's musings on the 'death of God' from "Thus Spoke Zarathustra", but this moment in time begins to encapsulate the era's transformational spirit to which Nietzsche reflected in his writings. Pilie’ connects this philosophical evolution to the revolution's fervor while exploring the difference in views at the time between Thomas Hobbes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. He weaves the ideas into an suspenseful and action packed story.

Pilie’ delves into the complexities of slavery, arguing that it was not solely based on racial discrimination but was a symptom of the French colonial system's broader tyranny. The narrative suggests that slavery's eradication required a complete societal overhaul, an idea reflected in Edmund Burke's quote, 'Slavery is a weed that grows on every soil.'

Pilie's novel is a profound examination of art, philosophy, and the human condition, inviting readers to reflect on a historical moment that echoes into modernity.

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Audiobook: 20 April 2025