Clap When You Land Book Review
“The patron saint of the ocean is known for containing many parts of herself: she is a nurturer, but she is also a ferocious defender. & so I remember that to walk this world you must be kind but also fierce.”
― Elizabeth Acevedo, Clap When You Land*
Camino and Yahaira Rios are sisters who live a world apart. Camino lives her life, motherless, as a healers apprentice, waiting for her father to return to the Dominican every summer to visit her for three, short months. Papi pays for her school and pays off the local pimp to keep his daughter safe. And then he returns to New York City, where Yahaira and her Mami wait for his return.
When Papi’s flight crashes into the ocean between New York and the Dominican, all of his secrets come to light. Camino and Yahaira find each other in the wake of their shared loss and in each other, find family. When Yahaira sneaks away to the Dominican Republic to see her father’s resting place and the sister that was kept a secret from her all her life, these two young women must grapple with the meaning of family, belonging, and home.
This dual perspective narrative, is both beautiful and moving. Elizabeth Acevedo brings a story of loss and discovery, written completely in verse, to the YA world. This was a reading experience that I truly and thoroughly enjoyed. I wholeheartedly recommend you pick Clap When You Land this summer.
If it were not for the recent turbulence in America, I may have not been introduce to this author. As a lover of fiction, I never stopped to think about who was writing the stories I was consuming. It didn’t occur to me that I wasn’t reading with diversity. I read a lot of contemporary romance, YA fantasy, and WWII historical fiction - all genres that tend to popularize the work of white authors. I didn’t see that as an issue before. I honestly didn’t see it at all. I was just reading what was interesting to me. But I wasn’t really stumbling across white authors by accident, it’s all part of the bigger landscape of racism in American. And as a part of the extensive inner work that I need to do, I am pledging to read more diverse authors. I started here. I have a lot further to go but I’ve started with this book and it was a beautiful start.
If you have a favorite book by a BIPOC, please drop your recommendations in the comments below. I would love to know what you’re reading!
*This is an affiliate link. If you shop using this link, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Laurel and Iron!
