In her final months, Claudette Wadestrandt did not want to hear about the bad news and sad history from home, but she wanted to hear this story. I read the first complete version aloud over three gray days in January 2012, and she told me it was beautiful and true. She showed me what it meant to yearn for home and that in the end, loving someone means not holding tight but letting go. Christiane “Ti Boum” Mallet Webster, Jacqueline “Kakine” Mallet Cedeno, Marie Florence “Tatou” Wadestrandt, and Olg(uit)a Lasa are proof of the vastness and inclusiveness of family, and of the importance of a good nickname.
Claudine St. Fleur inspires me every day with her bravery and sweetness, and has shown me what it means to have a sister. And finally, to my parents, Arne and Gail Wagner, who have supported me in all endeavors, and have never failed to inspire me to have an encompassing conception of home.
About the Author
LAURA ROSE WAGNER lived in Haiti from 2009 to 2012 and goes back regularly to visit. She, like countless others, survived the January 2010 earthquake through the grace of ordinary people in Port-au-Prince. Laura enjoys learning new languages, connecting with people, making up sonnets and limericks for her friends, eating and talking about Haitian food, and hanging out with her cats, Chouboulout and Djondjon. Her favorite ice cream flavor is coffee. She received a PhD in cultural anthropology in 2014, and is still not 100 percent sure what she’s going to be when she grows up. This is her first novel.
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Hold Tight, Don't Let Go Page 18