Je ne te trouverai pas deux fois dans ce même corps [I Will Not Find You Twice in this Same Body], a new novel by Kettly Mars, tells the story of Zi— a young, independent woman, gallery owner, mother, and lover— who strives not to succumb to lock-down, popular uprisings, and gang violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. With this novel, Mars is a finalist for the Prix des Amériques insulaires. The final award winner will be announced in November at the end of the Écritures des Amériques Festival in Guadeloupe. [For more information, see Livres Hebdo and our previous post “Finalists.”]
Description: In a Haiti in disarray, protests paralyze Port-au-Prince. The country is locked down, locked, paralyzed. Zi, an independent woman, gallery owner, mother, and lover, tries her best not to succumb to despair. She manages her two lovers, one an expatriate and the other married, torn between the desire to leave and to stay. She experiences love and tenderness in a country in ruins.
With writing brimming with desire and sensuality, Je ne te trouverai pas deux fois dans ce même corps speaks of the intimacy of bodies surrendering to pleasure in a country ablaze.
Zi is an upright woman of strength. She takes care of her twin sons and her gallery. She demonstrates alongside her artist and activist friends. She confides in her best friend and offers her support when the latter faces gossip about a lesbian relationship. A novel about love, friendship, and betrayal, Je ne te trouverai pas… paints a portrait of a Haiti in revolt.
The story unfolds in the aftermath of the Petrocaribe scandal, a project intended to help Haiti recover from the 2010 earthquake with Venezuelan aid, but whose funds were embezzled. Young people take to the streets, armed gangs occupy the city, and kidnappings plunge the city’s inhabitants into terror. As the entire country seems to descend into anarchy, Zi must find a way to keep her dreams alive. Je ne te trouverai pas… is a novel rooted in the truth of womanhood and lived experience, both intimate and political.
In the author’s words: “It’s the story of an unlikely love affair in a remote, isolated country. A story that speaks a great deal about death but also expresses a powerful desire to live and to love.”
Kettly Mars: Poet, short story writer, and novelist, Mars is a major figure in Haitian literature. She belongs to that generation of Haitian women writers who write at the crossroads of pain and violence.
For purchasing information, see https://memoiredencrier.com/catalogue/je-ne-te-trouverai-pas-deux-fois-dans-ce-meme-corps/ and https://www.amazon.com/trouverai-deux-fois-dans-corps/dp/2898720674/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0
For more on the award, see https://www.livreshebdo.fr/article/le-prix-des-ameriques-insulaires-devoile-ses-finalistes
Also read a review by Silvia Galipeau at https://www.lapresse.ca/arts/litterature/2026-03-08/critique-de-je-ne-te-trouverai-pas-deux-fois-dans-ce-meme-corps/haiti-brule-et-deux-corps-s-aiment.php