"The porch floorboards echo a creak, & it feels like the night is making room for whatever Tía has to say.
I smack a mosquito against my chest. My own blood smears on my skin. I’m surprised I didn’t notice the sting
& yet I know, whatever Tía is going to say may not draw blood, but I will feel it." - Camino
Elizabeth Acevedo, author of Clap When You Land writes a novel-in-verse that explores love, grief and other thought provoking themes. The protagonists, Camino and Yahaira experience the loss of a family member, causing the interweaving of their lives. As the two navigate grief without their loved-one, they also discover family secrets, which force them to confront love of others in its truest form.
Clap When You Land interprets themes of love and grief as well as betrayal, cultural identity, family and more. Through this novel, you will experience two sisters’ different strengths in their individual grief, insights into their thought-patterns- influenced by chess and swimming, and you will also see how they defined themselves within their latino/a/e culture.
Watch award-winning spoken word poet and author Elizabeth Acevedo read an excerpt from her novel in verse, Clap When You Land,
Here's what one of our very own librarians thought about this novel: "I've just finished the book...What a powerful story…Acevedo has like, magic with her words. Wow!” “Such a rich, rich, quiet, big story” – Amy A. – Southeast Librarian
Did You Know: Elizabeth Acevedo is an Afro-Dominican poet and author of The Poet X and With the Fire on High. She is a National Poetry Slam champion and holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland. Find out more about her at http://www.acevedowrites.com/
#OwnVoices at Richland Library is a way for African American, Hispanic, and Latino/a/e staff to provide thoughtful and well written book reviews, book lists and blog posts to promote authors of marginalized groups and their work about the life experiences of these under-represented groups through their own perspective. The series invites our customers to learn one more way we are continuing the conversation in our community and speaking our voice. Find more resources on race, equity and inclusion, here.
