Lush imagery and masterful characterization give readers a look at the lives of two 16-year-old girls whose worlds couldn’t be further apart, but who long for connection in the face of life-altering tragedy. As details of the plane crash are revealed and arrangements are made for a funeral, Camino and Yahaira realize they are grieving for the same beloved father. Alternating between Camino and Yahaira’s perspectives, the story explores the grief of losing a loved one while discovering sisterhood.

Yahaira is a chess champ and lives in New York with her parents and next door to her girlfriend.

Camino lives in the Dominican Republic where she spends her days swimming and serving as an apprentice to her aunt, a healer, as she makes house calls.

Xiao Xiao Kingham works as a bookseller at Readings Kids.A deadly plane crash brings secrets to light and families together in this novel told in verse. Acevedo has written yet another meaningful read imbued with vivid imagery and emotion that is sure to pull at heartstrings. The protagonists’ voices are distinct and raw whilst giving the reader glimpses into the fascinating settings, communities and cultures of New York and Santa Domingo. Their father is an equally complex individual – neither a hero nor a villain, but simply an imperfect and utterly human figure caught up in two different lives for reasons that are uncovered throughout the novel.Įach chapter of Clap When You Land brims with lyrical and poetic prose that flows from one line to another. As Camino and Yahaira both struggle with grief, you see them grow as individuals as they each grapple with the various layers of their Dominican identities and come to understand their newfound sisterhood. Following the death of their father in the November 2001 crash of American Airlines Flight 587 bound for Santa Domingo, the two girls’ lives are overturned as they find each other in the midst of their grief.Īcevedo presents a poignant narrative that exposes the raw souls of her characters, as well as their flaws and desires, in a way that truly makes them feel three-dimensional. Meanwhile, Yahaira is a former chess-champion living in New York who shares a fire escape with her girlfriend and struggles with strained family dynamics. Camino lives in the Dominican Republic, helping her aunt tend to the sick in their neighbourhood whilst fighting for her dream of becoming a doctor. It is the story of two girls separated by an ocean who have never met each other and yet, unbeknownst to either, share a father. Clap When You Land is a poignant novel in verse by National Book Award-winner Elizabeth Acevedo that touches on themes of culture, connection and identity.

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