If you’ve been looking for a book that makes you feel the same way Lizzo’s self-love and empowerment speeches do, I can assure you that it has arrived.
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine is a newly-released YA debut brought to you by sister duo Maika and Maritza Moulite.
Co-written by sisters Maika and Maritza Moulite, and told in epistolary style through letters, articles, emails, and diary entries, this exceptional debut novel captures a sparkling new voice and irrepressible heroine in a celebration of storytelling sure to thrill fans of Nicola Yoon, Ibi Zoboi and Jenna Evans Welch!
When a school presentation goes very wrong, Alaine Beauparlant finds herself suspended, shipped off to Haiti and writing the report of a lifetime…
You might ask the obvious question: What do I, a seventeen-year-old Haitian American from Miami with way too little life experience, have to say about anything?
Actually, a lot.
Thanks to “the incident” (don’t ask), I’m spending the next two months doing what my school is calling a “spring volunteer immersion project.” It’s definitely no vacation. I’m toiling away under the ever-watchful eyes of Tati Estelle at her new nonprofit. And my lean-in queen of a mother is even here to make sure I do things right. Or she might just be lying low to dodge the media sharks after a much more public incident of her own…and to hide a rather devastating secret.
All things considered, there are some pretty nice perks…like flirting with Tati’s distractingly cute intern, getting actual face time with my mom and experiencing Haiti for the first time. I’m even exploring my family’s history—which happens to be loaded with betrayals, superstitions and possibly even a family curse.
You know, typical drama. But it’s nothing I can’t handle.
The book went into directions that I did not expect which should be taken into consideration when promoting YA titles. Most people of ages beyond the YA category tend to stray from these books because they immediately call them “childish,” but there’s nothing childish about Dear Haiti, Love Alaine.
The Moulite sisters have created a story that goes beyond age. The universal themes have been seen throughout many forms of storytelling but what sets this book apart is the diversity in culture. This own voices novel speaks volumes about Haitian culture which is a first step in making up for the lack of it in YA, among other literary categories. However, it is not a book with stereotypes, which some authors tend to go for in their attempts to create diversity in their books, it is a narrative that celebrates family and the women in it. It’s also a celebration of coming-of-age and becoming comfortable with your own identity.
In summary, absolutely adored this book! It was everything I expected it to be and more. The collaboration between the sisters to co-write this novel turned out to be an effortless narrative with so much to say without being preachy. I wish I’d had this when I was younger. Cannot wait for teenagers to see themselves in this story. The themes in this book are heavy, but the writers are able to handle it with all the care it deserves without undermining it.
Readers, Rambles & Reviews 