ANIANA DEL MAR JUMPS IN

A talented Dominican American swimmer fights to keep doing what she loves.

Twelve-year-old Aniana del Mar lives up to her name: Living on the island of Galveston, Texas, the water feels like home. But that’s a secret she keeps with her easygoing Papi, who sneaks her to the YMCA for swim practice and meets. Mami discourages Ani from swimming; after witnessing her own brother’s drowning during a hurricane, Mami is terrified of losing Ani and her 4-year-old brother, Matti, too. When Ani can no longer hide the joint swelling that plagues her when she overexerts herself, however, her secret’s out. Mami, who belongs to a strict Christian church, is furious, insisting that Ani’s juvenile idiopathic arthritis is God’s punishment for lying. Though Ani’s physical therapist endorses swimming, Mami bans Ani from the water she craves. As her family’s bonds fray, Ani grapples with the challenges of invisible illness, including loss of bodily autonomy and others’ lack of understanding. Incorporating concrete poems, haiku, and tanka, Ani’s aching, determined verse narration weaves English and Spanish words into striking imagery as she navigates tumultuous emotions and her loving but stifling relationship with Mami. Mendez, also disabled and Dominican American, explores post-traumatic stress and its effects with both compassion and honesty, respecting Mami’s trauma without diminishing the pain her overprotectiveness causes Ani. Religious belief is similarly represented with nuance. Supportive, diverse secondary characters add warmth.

A painful yet hopeful exploration of family, trauma, faith, and healing.