ABOUT THIS BOOK

Mardi was born in New York, but her parents sent her to Haiti to be raised in her grandmother’s house while they worked. When a coup d’état means 12-year-old Mardi and her sister must flee, they suddenly arrive in Brooklyn to live with parents they hardly know. Now it’s two years later. Mardi has adapted to her new life, while savoring sweet memories of her home in Haiti. But she is also haunted by her secret: a soldier raped her when she fled. This ambitious first novel is an insightful story of how family love and support can heal and help us move from world to world.


From the Hardcover edition.


REVIEWS

A vivid, touching first novel which offers a new glimpse of what “coming to America” asks of immigrants, and shows how family love can build a bridge from world to world.


From the Hardcover edition.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaïra Placide is an assistant editor in the children’s books department of a New York publisher. This is her first novel.


From the Hardcover edition.


AWARDS

WINNER 2003 - Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List
WINNER 2003 - ALA Best Books for Young Adults