Despite the book's intellectual challenges, Divina Trace should hold readers' interest throughout. Divina Trace contains so much literary complexity--numerous, seemingly disparate themes; varied, contradictory voices and perspective; and a hopelessly confusing chronology--that Robert Antoni's ability to keep it from sinking is quite an accomplishment. He succeeds in forging an enthralling novel out of what could have become a literary disaster.

Antoni, originally of Trinidad and Tobago, sets his story on the island of Corpus Christi, and makes full use of his knowledge of Caribbean dialects and culture in his book. Many of the chapters are narrated in different patois, and for many American readers the dialects require a greater effort to understand than the writing to which they are accustomed.

Divina Trace

by Robert Antoni

The Overlook Press

$22.95

Moreover, the weighty themes can be overwhelming, both in number and profundity--nothing is easy in Divina Trace. However, the voices that speak are rich and engaging enough to prevent losing the reader's interest. They are voices a reader can hear if he or she makes the effort to listen, and what they say is both important and original.

The novel centers on a legendary event: The birth of a child, who is born half-human, half-frog. The child is alternately cast as a demon, a victim of a diagnosable medical disease and a Christ-child; his mother, Magdalena, is similarly a divided character, a whore/saint.

Each of the seven different narrators who describe these two entities adheres to one particular image of the child; consequently, the different versions of the myth contradict each other. The most common descriptive voices belong to the Domingo family, and the narrative thread of the novel is Johnny Domingo. While Domingo always serves as audience to all versions of the myth, he also aids the reader with his own interpretation of it.

The voice of the ghost of Magdalena, one of the seven narrators, acts as the foundation of Divina Trace. Magdalena Divina, her memory residing in a holy statue of a black madonna, tells her version of the legend to Johnny Domingo. During her account, another narrator intervenes and takes over the story.

Divina Trace examines the nature of science and religion, of history and myth, of language and subjectivity. The novel contains level after level of meaning, but it manages to escape being ponderous. Its metafictional tendencies (myths contained within myths, which contradict, criticize and salute each other and all stories) are balanced by Antoni's attention to his readers. Antoni spins a myth, but does not forsake his audience--he does not forget that a story should be enjoyable to read.

This deeply layered, structurally magnificent novel is innovative, fresh and powerful. Robert Antoni has already been called the Caribbean's Joyce, and though the comparison may be premature, his work has already made an impressive mark on its own.