The Book Nook

Loss, Longing and Forgiveness Teens and adults seeking a compelling story about family secrets will find it in “Clap When You Land” by Elizabeth Acevedo.  It starts with a tragedy that devastates the lives of two girls and explores how they cope with the aftermath.  This perceptive tale portrays powerful emotions in a format that may be new to some. At first, I mistakenly thought it was a poetry collection, but further reading revealed it was actually a verse novel – a hybridized narration style gaining popularity in the young adult market.  Verse novels usually have traditional elements such as plots, characters dialog, etc. and may mingle free verse with rhyming verse. In this case free verse has been chosen and the cast is rather small with only two voices speaking – Camino and Yahaira.  They are separated by many miles and unaware of the other’s existence.  As the novel opens, both will experience a shocking blow that will reshape their outlook on life. Camino lives in her native land - the Dominican Republic.  Ever since the death of her mother she’s lived with her aunt, helping her deliver babies in the neighborhood.  She’s a talented swimmer and enjoys many hours in the ocean.  Her father’s job keeps him out of the country most of the time, but each summer her returns for a few precious months, and their time together is the highlight of her year.  He’s her protector, her friend and her hero. He also makes her education possible by providing regular financial contributions and she’s grateful, as her aunt earns enough money for the bare necessities, but not much more.  Camino’s secret hope is that her father will enable her to attend college in the United States, particularly Columbia University in New York City where he works. NYC is also home to another teen named Yahaira.  The only child of loving parents, she enjoys a more affluent lifestyle than Camino.  When Yahaira was very young her father taught her how to play chess.  She loved his encouragement and winning competitions as she became more skilled.  That was until she discovered he was hiding a very dark secret.  Since that day she stopped playing chess and can barely stand to be near him.  She’s plagued by uncertainty about raising the issue with him. When she’s called into the principal’s office one day, everyone at school is curious because Yahaira has never been in trouble.  What awaits her there isn’t a reprimand but news that will change life as she knows it. In the beginning it seems there’s little in common between the two girls, but readers will soon learn the connection and get a picture of anger, angst and heartache.  They’ll also see strong family bonds and inner strength.  To avoid spoilers, I’d advise skipping he next paragraph. The tale is loosely based on the New York flight to the Dominican Republic which crashed in Queens.  The story would have been given more attention had it not occurred in the aftermath of the 911 disaster, and the author shows reverence for the lives lost in that tragedy.  She also skillfully shows how people handle grief and family secrets differently and isn’t afraid of tackling issues such as socio-economic differences, assault, and death. The willingness to look unflinchingly at tough topics is a refreshing change for many fans of current young adult fiction.  Acevedo’s storytelling ability and use of structure easily conveys the emotions of her two protagonists.  Neither Camino, Yahaira nor any of the supporting characters seem less than three-dimensional. The author successfully uses the verse novel format to contrast the differences between the two protagonists.  The choppy, urgent tone used for Yahaira contrasts well with Camino’s flowing narrative.  At first, I didn’t realize there were two narrators, but the distinction between the voices helped me realize I hadn’t noted the visual clue at each chapter heading.  The audiobook version of “Clap When You Land” has two separate narrators.  Print, audio and e-versions of the book are all available from your library. Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican-American author and poet and her first book “The Poet X” won multiple awards.  She also won a Poetry Slam award in 2014.  She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland and currently lives in Washington D.C. When asked why she started writing, she gave this answer.  As an eighth-grade teacher she asked her students why they weren’t reading books.  They said the lack of diversity in their reading materials made them feel excluded and thus disinterested.  Buying books that they could relate to helped her realize she had the power to write such books herself.  I’m glad she did and look forward to future works from this bright and insightful author.