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Published May 2020
432 pages
Genre: Poetry & Novels in Verse
Publication Information
In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
Camino Rios lives for the summers when her father visits her in the Dominican Republic. But this time, on the day when his plane is supposed to land, Camino arrives at the airport to see crowds of crying people…
In New York City, Yahaira Rios is called to the principal's office, where her mother is waiting to tell her that her father, her hero, has died in a plane crash.
Separated by distance—and Papi's secrets—the two girls are forced to face a new reality in which their father is dead and their lives are forever altered.
And then, when it seems like they've lost everything of their father, they learn of each other.
"Returning to verse, Acevedo subtly, skillfully uses language and rhythm to give voice to the sisters' grief, anger, and uncertainty...Raw and emotional, [her] exploration of loss packs an effective double punch, unraveling the aftermath of losing a parent alongside the realities of familial inheritance." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Acevedo balances the two perspectives with ease, contrasting the girls' environments and upbringings...Every line is laced with betrayal and longing as the teens struggle with loving someone despite his imperfections. A standing ovation." - Kirkus Reviews
"Acevedo's free verse poems for each girl share an easy cadence and thoughtfulness, yet each girl's perspective is clear...Memorable for its treatment of grief, depiction of family ties, and lyrical strength, expect a well-deserved high demand." - Booklist
This information about Clap When You Land was first featured
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Stephanie Ifendu
Elizabeth Acevedo is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Poet X, which won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature, the Michael L. Printz Award, the Pura Belpré Award, the Carnegie medal, the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Walter Award. She is also the author of With the Fire on High—which was named a best book of the year by the New York Public Library, NPR, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal—and Clap When You Land, which was a Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor book and a Kirkus finalist.
She holds a BA in Performing Arts from George Washington University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Acevedo has been a fellow of Cave Canem, Cantomundo, and a participant in the Callaloo Writer's Workshops...
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