Edwidge Danticat hooks reader with just one line

A good work of literature arguably can be summed up in one line. In Edwidge Danticat's new novel, “Claire of the Sea Light,” that line would be: “Claire, a young girl from a small Haitian fishing village, goes missing the night her father tries to give her away.” In this line we have setting, plot, character and an emotional question. More than enough to hook a reader.

But Danticat, a two-time National Book Award finalist and a recipient of the MacArthur genius grant, still does one better: rather than tell this incredible story straight, she tells it deep and wide, bringing in the stories of other townspeople - those close to Claire and those who only know her tangentially: the result is a deeply satisfying novel that is emotionally engaging on a number of levels.

Though it doesn't quite begin that way. The novel opens with Danticat establishing the story of Claire and her widowed father by moving backward in time: (“The day Claire Limyé Lanmé turned four…”; “The day Claire Limyé Lanmé turned three…”), a useful device that wears a bit thin. However, Claire's story is the foundation for the novel and, once established, the remainder of the novel is beautifully paced, exploring the stories of shopkeepers, local radio personalities, and Claire's schoolmaster. While each new story focuses on a different citizen and situation, Claire and her family are ever-present, connecting each character and revealing the delicate, surprising ties present in their village.

Moving back and forth in time, and in and out of a number of houses, we come to see Claire's story - and the village itself - from multiple perspectives.

Beautifully written with a stunning conclusion, “Claire of the Sea Light” is a book to be savored - and shared.