Some years ago, writer Tracy Kidder was the keynote speaker at a narrative conference I was attending out East. He had just published "Mountains Beyond Mountains," his book about Paul Farmer's work in Haiti, and he rivited the audience--about a thousand journalists from around the United States--with his descriptions of Farmer's work, and the lives of the people of Haiti.

Paul Farmer is an infectious disease specialist, a Harvard professor, a "genius" grant recipient, who started a nonprofit organization called "Partners in Health" which treats the ill and trains doctors in Haiti. He built a hospital in Haiti's central plains, where he and others treat empoverished Haitians suffering from malnutrition, from tropical diseases, from tuberculosis, from HIV. His is an inspiring story, and, in Kidder's hands, spellbinding.

Those of us in the audience who had not read "Mountains Beyond Mountains" dashed off and bought the book, which was, predictably, wonderful. It's a book worth re-reading now, in light of the devastation Haiti has suffered through this week's earthquake. The Star Tribune's review of the book is here.

If you're interested in Haiti through the eyes of a native Haitian, you can't do better than Edwidge Danticat, whose collection of linked short stories, "The Dew Breaker," is beautifully written, heart breaking and very powerful. "The Dew Breaker"--such a poetic name for someone who does such heinous things (it's a Haitian term for someone who tortures). Read our review here. And then go read the book.