This book started out slow, but once I got hooked I did not want to put it down. David Payne is an excellent writer and this book did not disappoint.

The story is not your typical Southern dark mystery. There is a strong connection to Cuba, and Palo Mayombe, a religion I'd not heard of until I listened to this book. I did get lost toward the end, and although I listened to the last CD twice, I still wasn't completely sure what had happened.
Although the narration is superb, I found the long speeches (both in English and Spanish) both unlikely, and preachy.

Sometimes, in a book that attempts to straddle both the past and the present, something gets lost in the translation. Either one of the stories seem to shine more than the other.

But David Payne manages to keep both narratives engaging and full of tension. And, while I was drawn more towards the very unique story of the South Carolina plantation with ties to Cuba, I also enjoyed (if enjoyed is the right word) the slow dissolution of Ran's marriage.

The novel was especially interesting for the obvious historical research that went into the book, giving us insight into attitudes surrounding the Civil War, some of which might be surprising. Deftly woven into the plot, too, are tendrils of Conjure magic, both the good and the bad.

Here were my issues, though:

1. One gratuitous sex scene. Did we really need that in order to understand that Ran and Claire are both intense and sexual people, who are still attracted to each other despite all that has passed between them? (and I write romance novels, so I'm not a prude!)

2. Ran's unraveling didn't ring true. At his heart, he was deeply attached to his family, and to imply that because he's bipolar or even manic would allow him to fall so far as to actually hurt them seemed like a stretch that was deemed necessary for plot tension.

In all, though, Mr. Payne does an amazing job of keeping both narratives interesting, so that the reader is kept paging through to the next installment of both stories. And he does it with language that would make your mama weep:
From behind the dikes, as from a hidden amphitheater, something like a cloud of smoke arises, green smoke shot through with flashing trails of red and yellow fire, and the smoke is birds, and the new sound, the overwhelming sound, is the chittering they make.

Lyrical and yet contemporary, this book is one that will ring through your head like the noise of a large black pot being struck.

this was a 3.5 read for me

This was a well written story, but it got confusing at times. I believe there are ghosts but the storyline got a little far-fetched when it tried to say a character in the present was "acting" just like a character that lived 150 years earlier. I was very confused by the ending.

L'édition française...

Pas de la grande littérature, mais du plaisir à le lire
J'avais lu d'autres livres du même auteur qui m'avaient beaucoup plu.. Mais je me souviens pas de la qualité de l'écriture pour ces précédents..

""

This is the second book I've read by Payne. I loved it just as much as the first. The chapters switched off between present day and the Civil War following the lives of two families trying to make a life on the Wando Passo plantation. The way Payne weaves the tail of the two worlds leaves you guessing until the very end. Is it a voudou curse or is Ran just plain crazy?

I have made it a practice in the last couple of years to circle back and reread some of my favourite novels. I pulled “Back to Wando Passo” of the shelf on that basis and was very glad that I did.

It depicts parallel stories in the present and the past taking place in the southern U.S. In the present, it is the story of musician Ransom Hill and his attempt to reunite with his wife Clare and their two children. Ransom rose from poor country roots to a few years of stardom as the lead in the Ransom Hill Band during which time he met and married Claire who comes from and upper class Charleston family. But his battle with manic depression, which torpedoed his career and his marriage, rises again to thwart him.

In the past, it is the story of Clare’s wealthy ancestors Claire and Adelaide Delay and their marriage which hinges on fragile connections. Slave Jarry, who runs the Delay plantation, is the swing point in their troubled relationship. This narrative spans the civil war years in the U.S. and explores the issue of slavery from both morale and economic perspectives.

The two stories are woven together by Voodoo, Hoodoo and other forms mysticism which came to America in the hearts and minds of the slaves. The impact of this dark spirituality spans and connects the multiple generations involved.

David Payne’s writing is infused with lyricism, vivid imagery and probing character studies. Every page is a delight to read. The sprawling emotions played out make it a difficult book to put down.

Back to Wando Passo is on my top five favourite novels list. I am sure I will come back to it for another read a few years down the line.

Hard not to like, but equally hard to love.

I love the way this book is written, especially the historic sections. I particularly love the work the author put into his research to give an authentic story. It's truly well done. In addition, the vocabulary the author uses, both in the historic and present day sections is pure eloquence. The story is well played linking the present and the past together intricately. The use of poetry the author incorporates to move the story is beautiful. The entire book is a work of poetry and art. I wish more books were written with this much intellect and eloquence. It's a style of writing I hope to achieve myself one date.

Long read, but worth it in the end!