Maria Maria

Léa is a 9-year-old girl living with her parents in a little blue house in Sainte-Rose on the island of Guadeloupe. Their life is simple and easy. Both of her parents work and she attends school nearby. The family is very close, especially given that Léa's grand-mère, whom she loves dearly, lives just blocks away. Life goes along at a beautiful pace, as it does on the island, until a family matter in Connecticut requires Léa's mom, Stéphanie, to travel there to spend a few weeks helping her sister recover from surgery. Though Stéphanie's absence is an upset to regular life for the family, the situation is further intensified by the impending arrival of Hurricane Maria, the storm that decimated many islands in the Caribbean. Learn how this family prepares for the coming of the storm and deals with its aftermath. Through these experiences, some of which are tremendous losses, Léa gains knowledge of what it means to be Guadeloupéenne, both as a daughter of the island and in spirit.Teachers: depending on your students, this can be a level 2 or a level 3 book.