A Second Chance on Earth

Sixteen-year-old Marcos Cadena’s world is split in two when his father is killed in a motorcycle accident. One month after the incident, his mother suggests that their family scatter Papi’s ashes in his beloved hometown of Cartagena, Colombia; she hopes that the change of scenery and the opportunity to pay their respects will have a positive effect on Marcos. Upon arrival, Marcos meets Camilo, a young taxi driver who shares his love for the author of Papi’s favorite book, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and offers to show him around the city. Expressing caution, his mother allows Marcos to explore Cartagena with charismatic Camilo, who tells Marcos more about Gabriel García Márquez as well as the “slums” of Camilo’s own childhood. But when Marcos learns a dangerous secret about Camilo that could endanger them both, he must reckon with whether some actions are unforgivable. Through affecting verse, Vidal (Rap Dad, for adults) deftly examines themes of friendship, masculinity, grief, and redemption. The richly detailed Colombian background of this poignant exploration of the death of a parent is as alive and vibrant as its narrator. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alex Slater, Sanford J. Greenburger Assoc. (Sept.)