Crossing the Mangrove, Maryse Condé

Francis Sancher - a handsome outsider, loved by some and reviled by others - is found dead, face down in the mud on a path outside Riviere au Sel, a small village in Guadeloupe.  None of the villagers are particularly surprised, since Sancher, a secretive and melancholy man, had often predicted an unnatural death for himself.  As the villagers come to pay their respects they each - either in a speech to the mourners, or in an internal monologue - reveal another piece of the mystery behind Sancher's life and death.  
Like pieces of an elaborate puzzle, their memories interlock to create a rich and intriguing portrait of a man and a community. 

ISBN: 978-0-241-53005-4