Drums at Dusk

novel by Bontemps

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Article History

Drums at Dusk, historical novel by Arna Bontemps, published in 1939.

Set in Haiti in the late 18th century, the work is based on the slave uprising that occurred at the time of the French Revolution and secured Haiti’s independence. A young Frenchman living in Haiti is sympathetic to the plight of the blacks but is nonetheless marked for revenge. Aided by his friend Toussaint l’Ouverture, he escapes from Haiti with the girl he loves.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.