Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network

Host: Holly Gattery
Guest: Robert de la Chevrotiere
Episode: Tall Is Her Body (Kensington, 2025)
Date: November 11, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features author Robert de la Chevrotiere discussing his debut novel, Tall Is Her Body, a sweeping, multicultural family saga set against the backdrop of the collapse of the West Indies banana industry in the 1990s. Host Holly Gattery guides an in-depth conversation about the book’s origins, its supernatural and historical dimensions, how it handles themes of violence, family, faith, colonialism, and the author’s unique approach to language and cultural authenticity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Long Journey of the Novel

• Genesis: Robert began writing the novel inspired by a Haitian professor's encouragement to tell personal stories, further prompted by a meaningful author encounter that made him start writing about his childhood in the Caribbean.
  • "She was so adamant that we all had a story inside of us...just say what you need to say and share it." (03:46, D)
• Development: Early drafts were autobiographical, but he shifted to fiction, adding drama and character deaths for narrative momentum. The writing evolved over years alongside life changes and intensified during COVID.
  • "Once I saw the ending and I realized what the ending was going to be, I said, wow, I can actually write the rest." (06:53, D)
• Significance: For Robert, this is “the one book that we all have in us...everything else is extra.” (07:14, D)

2. Depiction of Violence and Trauma

• Opening Scene: The novel begins with a graphic and formative act of violence: the protagonist Fidel witnesses his mother and uncle's murder by his father.
• Writing Process: Robert wrote these scenes for himself at first, based on real events from the Caribbean, emphasizing the authenticity and necessity of “writing life as it is.”
  • “I didn't think of anyone else reading it...I wrote this for me initially, so I had to put it down on paper.” (11:53, D)
• Balancing Tenderness: Despite violent elements, the novel is underpinned by tenderness, especially in Fidel’s character and his relationships.
  • “For the most part, it's...pretty tender. It's not about the violence necessarily. The book itself encompasses much more.” (13:59, D)

3. Supernatural and Spiritual Traditions

• Obeah and Fortune-Telling: The story integrates supernatural aspects, e.g., the Gadèt Zafè (fortune tellers) and Obeah, drawing on Caribbean African spiritual traditions.
• Balancing Organized Religion: Robert explores the tension and complementarity between African spirituality and Christianity, both in society and his own life.
  • "For me, Christianity has been such a question mark...having the African spiritualities in there...helped balance what I was trying to convey." (19:56, D)
• Authenticity: The supernatural is treated as everyday and normalized, reflecting actual Caribbean experiences rather than Western stereotypes.
  • "It was never seen as questionable. It was, okay, that is who that person is and that is what they do." (16:43, D)

4. Fidel as a Prism for Themes of Identity and Gender

• Multicultural and Faith Dynamics: Fidel embodies multicultural and multifaceted faith experiences, dealing with profound themes like colonialism, immigration, colorism, and gender.
  • “So many multitudes were filtered like a prism through Fidel...” (22:33, C)
• Female Influence and Feminism: Fidel’s strength derives from the women in his life; Robert credits women for “lifting him up” and makes a point about valuing women in society.
  • “...it was not hard to write him at all because...it was these extraordinary women who lifted him up.” (26:23, D)
  • “If we as people, we recognize the importance of the role that women play in our lives, I think our lives would be so much better..." (26:52, D)

5. Love, Relationships, and Home

• Janine vs. Lucy: Fidel is drawn to two contrasting love interests—Janine, a white woman in Nova Scotia, and Lucy, his home love—which reflect his diasporic tension and self-discovery.
  • “You don’t miss your water till the well runs dry...Janine was part of him finding himself... Lucy...is home.” (31:01, D)
• Agency of Female Characters: Lucy is not passive, reflecting the empowerment of women in Fidel’s life.

6. Black Identity and Colorism in Diaspora

• Key Dinner Conversation: A pivotal dinner scene addresses complexities of black identity, colorism, and divisions within the black diaspora in Canada.
  • "That conversation about the...different kinds of blackness...is a conversation that black folk have all the time..." (34:52, D)
• Personal Resonance: Robert draws on his own experience immigrating to Canada and encountering divisions within black communities based on origin, language, and culture.

7. Colonialism, The Banana Industry, and Historical Pain

• Banana Industry Collapse: The novel interweaves the real-life collapse of the banana industry in the West Indies, echoing the destructive legacies of colonialism and economic dependency.
  • “It takes a stroke of a pen to undo all of it, right? ...as much as they try...sometimes you have no control over it, and you have to start over.” (50:08, D)
• Personal and Societal Impact: Robert discusses his direct connection through his father’s work and explains the economic and emotional toll on communities.
  • “I remember growing up going there to Dominica...by the banana...to think that all of that just vanished.” (46:46, D)

8. Language, Dialect, and Literary Authenticity

• Authentic Language: Robert stresses representing authentic dialect and language as a way to honor cultural reality and make voices heard, despite publishing challenges.
  • “...as authors and as writers, that we represent as much as we can that authenticity.” (58:03, D)

9. Book Title: "Tall Is Her Body"

• The title is a translation of "Waitu Kubuli," the indigenous Kalinago name for Dominica, meaning “Tall is her body,” chosen as an ode to his birthplace.
  • “I wanted to show gratitude...and it is where I was born. For me, it's just...an ode to my birthplace.” (44:21, D)

10. Robert’s Literary Future

• Upcoming Projects: Robert is working on a new novel, The Twelfth House, set in Dominica—featuring a supernatural perspective from an unborn girl seeking agency and revenge.
  • "...it's a young girl who, she's not born yet, but she can still impact the lives of her father and her future and she's willing to, to be born." (61:04, D)
• Previous Work: His previous novel, We Were Not Kings, explores similar diasporic themes between Guadeloupe and Strasbourg, focusing on a coming-of-age journey.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the book’s genesis:
  “The journey is a long journey...if nothing else ever comes out of my brain...for me, it is this one. Everything else is extra.” (07:13, D)

• On violence:
  “I didn't consider the eyes of anyone else...I wrote this for me initially, so I had to put it down on paper.” (11:53, D)

• On African spiritualities:
  “It had to be something that I could not necessarily put my finger on and define...it's more about community. It's more about healing practice.” (18:02, D)

• On writing Fidel and feminism:
  “If we as people, we recognize the importance of the role that women play in our lives, I think our lives would be so much better...” (26:52, D)

• On blackness and colorism in Canada:
  “When my friends and I came down...you had these three factions of black folks that just didn’t get along...that was something that is very, very real in the black community.” (35:36, D)

• On the banana industry’s collapse:
  “To think that all of that just vanished…” (46:46, D)
  “...as much as they try...sometimes you have no control over it...” (50:08, D)

• On dialect:
  “It’s part of being authentic...how are they saying it? ...we have to break down some of these walls...if it feels authentic to me...I hope it feels authentic to the reader.” (58:38, D)

Important Timestamps

• [03:46]: Book origins and early inspiration
• [08:50]: Approach to depicting early violence in the novel
• [16:32]: Usage of Obeah and supernatural elements
• [25:15]: Writing Fidel and the vital role of women
• [30:29]: Love interests and their symbolism
• [34:52]: The dinner conversation on black identity and colorism
• [38:27]: Author reading: passage on Fidel’s relationship with his maternal figures
• [44:21]: Meaning and story behind the title
• [46:38]: The research and personal roots behind the banana industry subplot
• [53:10]: On We Were Not Kings and Robert’s broader literary themes
• [57:56]: Challenges and strategies for writing dialect in Canadian literature
• [60:44]: A sneak peek of Robert's next novel, The Twelfth House

Memorable Moment

Robert de la Chevrotiere on the spirits of his female ancestors:
"[They] were all the women in my life...the ones who came before them, the ones who would come after. They were all so beautiful, and if their spirits lived forever, I would want to live among them." (39:57, D)

Conclusion

A rich, far-reaching discussion, this episode offers listeners a vibrant exploration of Caribbean identity, the legacy of colonial power, the power of women, spiritual traditions, and the struggle for personal and cultural wholeness. Robert de la Chevrotiere’s warmth, candor, and insight, combined with Holly Gattery’s empathetic hosting, make for a compelling dive into the making and meaning of Tall Is Her Body—a novel that is as enlightening as it is enchanting.