Duels (Seagull Books) by Néhémy Dahomey, translated from the French by Nathan H. Dize, presents Haiti in 1842, gripped by financial crisis, struggling to pay off the monstrous independence debt imposed by France. Ludovic Possible, a notary in the town of Boën, founds a schoolhouse equipped to teach children both literacy and practical skills, but his vision is upended by a series of duels plaguing Boën. Through a kaleidoscopic cast of characters, Dahomey’s tautly-plotted novel ruminates on sovereignty, education, and the perilous road to self-determination.