Behind the Mountains

A lyrical and poignant coming-of-age story about one girl's immigration experience, as she moves from Haiti to New York City, by award-winning author Edwidge Danticat.

It is election time in Haiti, and bombs are going off in the capital city of Port-au-Prince. During a visit from her home in rural Haiti, Celiane Espérance and her mother are nearly killed. Looking at her country with new eyes, Celiane gains a fresh resolve to be reunited with her father in Brooklyn, New York.

The harsh winter and concrete landscape of her new home are a shock to Celiane, who witnesses her parents' struggle to earn a living and her brother's uneasy adjustment to American society, and at the same time encounters her own challenges with learning and school violence.

National Book Award finalist Edwidge Danticat weaves a beautiful, honest, and timely story of the American immigrant experience in this luminous novel about resilience, hope, and family.

Author: Edwidge Danticat
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 04/05/2022
Pages: 192
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781338745719
Age Range: 8-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.6
Point Value: 5
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 65424 / Behind the Mountains: The Diary of Celiane Esperance

About the Author
Edwidge Danticat is the author of many award-winning books, including Untwine, an NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Literary Work; Breath, Eyes, Memory, an Oprah's Book Club pick; Krik? Krak!, a National Book Award nominee; Brother, I'm Dying, a National Book Critics Circle winner and Huit jours. She is also a recipient of a MacArthur Genius Grant. Edwidge lives with her family in Miami, Florida.