In Claire of the Sea Light, her first novel in nine years, award-winning Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat tells the beautiful, piercing story of seven-year-old Claire, a little girl growing up in a Haitian fishing village in the shadow of the loss of her mother, who died giving birth to her. Claire's father has been agonizing over whether or not to give Claire to a childless, wealthy woman, who will be able to raise her with more comforts and better prospects. Then, the day of Claire's 7th birthday, just as her father has decided that he must allow her to go, she disappears. Claire's story is every bit as heartbreaking and lovely as the portrait of Haiti that emerges. You can see the Monitor's full review of "Claire of the Sea Light" here.
