Clap When You Land

Twin sisters Camino and Yahaira Rios live separate lives in the Dominican Republic and New York City, unaware of each other’s existence. Their connection remains hidden until their father dies in a plane crash over the Caribbean. Told through verse, the narrative follows the girls as they navigate the aftermath of the accident and uncover the secrets of their father’s dual life. Camino faces the sudden loss of her financial security and dreams of medical school, while Yahaira grapples with the betrayal of her father’s dishonesty. As the sisters eventually meet, they must reconcile their shared grief with the reality of their fractured family history.

Readers of young adult fiction find here a portrayal of how socioeconomic status and geography shape the grieving process differently for two children of the same parent. The text serves those interested in the complexities of the Dominican diaspora and the tension between parental idealism and human fallibility. A reader walks away with a specific understanding of how secrets can isolate relatives and how shared loss can force the creation of new, unexpected family bonds across international borders.