A massive earthquake strikes Haiti, and leaves Magdalie Jean-Baptiste and her cousin, Nadine, without their Manman (mother) or a home. The 16-year-old girls have no choice but to live with their uncle in a makeshift camp in Port-au-Prince. Magdalie may be dirt poor and can no longer attend school, but at least she has her cousin's companionship. That familial situation, however, is short-lived when Nadine receives a visa to Miami, and leaves Magdalie with the promise of getting her to America someday. Time passes with no fulfillment of Nadine’s promise. Magdalie decides to take matters into her own hands, yet she is not aware of the danger that awaits her fiscal endeavors. It does not help that she is filled with anger because of her misfortune. Amid all the chaos in her life, Magdalie not only travels to St. Juste, a tiny village in the mountains near Jérémie, to participate in her Manman's wake, but also has no idea that returning to the place of her birth will be a critical turning point in her life.

Rising author Laura Rose Wagner based HOLD TIGHT, DON’T LET GO! on the devastating 2010 Haitian earthquake and aimed to undo the common stereotype of Haitians as victims of suffering.  Laura lived in Port-au-Prince at that time and said, "contrary to the accounts by the international media of looting and lawless violence," the determined citizens “knew that it was up to them to save their own lives” --- and the lives of their friends and family members “where formal authority is weak.” And, indeed, Wagner has gone beyond this major feat through her portrayal of a fictional teenager who sought more out of life than living in constant despair.

"A powerful coming-of-age story of survival, HOLD TIGHT, DON’T LET GO! is clearly earmarked to be an award-winning novel and an iconic favorite for teen and adult readers."

The inspiration to create Magdalie comes from the stories and experiences of people Wagner knew during her three-year stay in Haiti, her personal experiences and figments of her imagination. Formatted as monthly journal entries, Magdalie writes well over a year's worth of her life after that fateful January 12^th day. Her hope someday is to become a great doctor, or even a great writer. Determined to be successful in life against all odds, Magdalie, for example, resolves not to succumb to the sexual plight of girls her age. Nonetheless, that is the least of her problems since she is constantly faced with a plethora of conflicts at all sides. While there is no doubt that Magdalie's heroine role makes her a dynamic character, much of Wagner's characters are foils who force Magdalie to take a hard look at herself and her circumstances. 

Aside from her unique casting, Wagner tightly weaves contrast, most often in the form of paradox, from one scene to the next. Good examples are Magdalie's discontentment compared to her friend, Safira, who is always optimistic and is graced with peace amid her unusual pregnancy, and the wealthy Mme. Faustin, who bullies Magdalie instead of facing her own fears. Wagner does it again describing various surroundings. Certainly, Wagner paints a grim picture of Magdalie's impoverished environs, but offsets that with St. Juste and Jérémie scenes replete with idyllic mountains and pristine beaches surrounded by trees filled with mouth-watering fruit.

A powerful coming-of-age story of survival, HOLD TIGHT, DON’T LET GO! is clearly earmarked to be an award-winning novel and an iconic favorite for teen and adult readers.