Another great debut novel hits the bookstore this month. When Tito Loved Clara opens with a simple premise, and moves in clear and concise writing. Tito and Clara are high school sweethearts, who haven’t seen each other for nearly 15 years. They’re both from the Dominican Republic and both grew up in a small Dominican-influenced neighborhood in north Manhattan. Clara manages to escape her abusive stepmother and alcoholic father and now lives in the suburbs of New Jersey with her husband and son. Tito lives in the basement of his parent’s apartment in the old neighborhood and works occasionally for a moving company.

So far things are going smoothly. But Clara’s family brings complications--namely her sister Yunis leaves her pregnant high school daughter in Clara and Thomas’ care. The boyfriend is a drug dealing ex-con who works sometimes with Tito.

In pristine chapters that are written to focus on a particular character’s perspective, the story moves toward the ultimate intersection of Clara and Tito’s lives, something Tito has never stopped dreaming of and Clara avoids at all costs. The set-up is ripe: Clara and Thomas’s marriage is a little rocky (though Clara doesn’t understand this fully) and a highly-charged piece of information about Clara comes Tito’s way.

How far from our childhoods can we really move? When Tito Loved Clara explores this central question in a captivating story. Definitely put this on your list of spring/summer reads. ~Wendee