Raised by her divorced, self-sufficient mother, Yanique is seen as a privileged kid by her townsfolk of Cap-Haitian, Haiti. At home, she endures the wrath of her mother, who sees her daughter as the obstacle to her new life with her boyfriend, Julio. Still Yanique follows her mother's main advice—to obtain a college degree. By marrying Brunel Michel, she materializes her plan of a conventional family. They immigrate to the United States, and together they struggle to succeed in their new country. Then Brunel dies of cancer. Left alone in the harsh, unwelcoming environment reserved for immigrants, Yanique fights to build a future for her daughters while she faces what she fears the most: single motherhood.
Will Yanique commit the mistakes for which she reproaches her mother? Or will she catch herself in time to avert those mistakes? What will she sacrifice to hold on to the promises she made not to abuse her children?
Yanique leads us on a deeply personal and emotional journey, one where maturity, loss, guilt, accountability, acceptance, and hope are explored through her life's circumstances—and one that will resonate with readers as they see themselves in Yanique's story.
