Hold Tight, Don't Let Go: A Novel of Haiti - Tapa dura

"[R]eaders will be buoyed by the hopeful future the author imagines for Magdalie and for Haiti."--Amina Chaudhri"Booklist" (11/15/2014) "Wagner paints a convincing picture of post-earthquake survival...Treatment of Haitian cultural traditions is fascinating and respectful."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books STARRED REVIEW "Wagner's portrait of Haitian culture is particularly compelling, and her descriptions of the settings of the city and Tonton lie's country hometown are lush, despite the nation's dire circumstances."--Publishers Weekly (11/10/2014) STARRED REVIEW "An insightful disaster-survival story with far-reaching emotional resonance."--Kirkus Reviews (10/15/2014) "There have been literary works that highlight the devastation of the earthquake, but Hold Tight Don't Let Go is unique in that it highlights the two years after--what international aid really looks like, how temporary situations become permanent, and the how profound losses affect those who are left."--Susannah Goldstein, Convent of the Sacred Heart, New York City"School Library Journal" (12/01/2014)

Hold Tight, Don't Let Go is the vivid story of two teenage cousins, raised as sisters, who survive the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, though they lose the woman who raised them, Manman. They must fend for themselves in the aftermath, living in a camp set up by a charity. Magdalie and Nadine are inseparable, making the best of their new circumstances with an affectionate, lively cameraderie, until Nadine, whose father lives in Miami, sends for her but not Magdalie. As she leaves, Nadine makes a promise she cannot keep: to bring Magdalie to Miami, too. The novel follows Magdalie as she gradually accepts that she will not be reunited with Nadine and re-embraces her life in Haiti and the possibilities for her there--for love, friendship and a future. Her story parallels the author's hopes for Haiti.