Moulite, Maritza. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine. 2019. P. 401. 5 stars.

This was as fascinating as it was entertaining and breathtaking. This book delves into the story of a brilliant young teenager named Alaine Beauparlant, who after an incident at school, works in Haiti with her Aunt and her mother who is suffering from early-onset Alzheimers. In addition, she learns about some family secrets, as well as about herself and how her life should be lived. 

This book was thoughtfully crafted and poignant. It makes you truly scrutinize your life and its actions. I laughed, cried, and wanted to leap into the pages of this book, whether to comfort or be comforted by the characters, I am still trying to decipher.

We can each see some portion of ourselves in Alaine, whether it be through her trademark snark, her outpouring of compassion, or our innate desire to leave the world better than it was left for us, and struggling to figure out how we can do that. 

“Dear Haiti, Love Alaine” is nothing short of inspiring. The writing of this book was handled with wisdom and grace, and I am a better person for having read it. This book enables you to consider yourself and your actions more complexly and shows that you do not have to “be someone” to do something.

This book immerses you into Alaine’s world and you are left feeling restored and rejuvenated seeing what she sees and feeling what she feels. You can tell that a book is remarkable when an inanimate piece of paper laced with ink is more engrossing than the “real world.”

I give this book five stars because of how deeply ensorcelling it was. I still feel the powerhouse punch of the story in my heart because it teaches you more than a literature teacher ever can. I do not believe that there is one way to read this book. Alaine is a character where every interpretation is correct in its own way, and honestly, I do not care if I am wrong.