Author: Margarita Engle
Publisher: New York: Holt, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-8050-8674-4
Summary: Told through the eyes of five distinct
narrators, The Surrender Tree is based
on the true story of Rosa la Bayamesa and her husband José Francisco Varona.
She was a prominent healer during Cuba’s struggles for Independence from
1850-1899 and he helped to establish and defend the many jungle hospitals they
served.
Critical Analysis: Told entirely through free verse,
Margarita Engle’s novel is a wonderful introduction to an inspiring real-life hero
from Cuba’s many revolutions from the 1850 to 1899. Five narrators bring their
own perspective to the violent events of the time. The table of contents breaks
the book into five parts representing consecutive periods of Cuban history: chafing
under Spanish Rule, the Ten Years’ War, the Little War, the War of Independence,
and the Spanish surrender to the United States ending the Spanish-American War.
Engle includes a timeline and author and historical notes to expand our
understanding of the events surrounding her characters.
We first meet
Rosa, our heroine, as a girl. A slave blessed with healing talents, she shares
her gift not only at her master’s bidding, but also with rebels and runaway
slaves. Rosa’s tone is straightforward—she is simply using her gift of healing.
The next character is Lieutenant Death, a young man who is an eager apprentice
of his ruthless slave-hunting father. Lieutenant Death becomes obsessed with
the destruction of Rosa the witch-girl. While these characters are young belief
in ghosts and the supernatural is frequently mentioned.
By the time
Rosa’s owner takes part in the Ten Years’ War, Rosa is a young woman. Her owner
frees her and Rosa meets and marries our third narrator, José. José quickly
establishes himself as a practical man sharing a knack for simile and metaphor
with Rosa.
“I picture the
two of us, carved and polished,
motionless, yet alive,
holding up our roof of hope.”
motionless, yet alive,
holding up our roof of hope.”
Over the
ensuing years a reader can sense our heroes growing exhausted of constant
warfare. José says:
“Sometimes war
feels
like a lonely child’s game,
one that explodes
out of control.”
like a lonely child’s game,
one that explodes
out of control.”
Lieutenant-General
Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, Marquis of Tenerife, Empire of Spain, (known as
General Weyler in the history books), is sent to subdue the Cuban rebellion.
His pompous words are full of disdain for Spain’s Cuban population. He ruthlessly
forces peasants into “reconcentration” camps, the forerunner of Hitler’s
concentration camps. Our final narrator, a young girl named Silvia, escapes the
reconcentration camp and joins Rosa as an apprentice. By this time Rosa is an
old woman, weary of war and fear, but still trying to heal all who come to her.
The U. S. victory
in the Spanish-American War suddenly ends the Cuban rebellions. José and Rosa
take the victory with a grain of salt, seeing the American occupation as yet
another blow to Cuban independence. The young Silvia sees the occupation as a
fresh start, stability for Cuba.
That Engle has
distilled such a long chaotic period into just 137 brief poems is a testament
to her wordcraft. She manages to continually add depth and experience to her
characters using only the barest of words, catching and holding us with
matter-of-fact poetry punctuated with profound metaphors and similes. The emotional impact of the story grows as the
characters mature—to borrow imagery from Engle—from the airy balsa wood of
youth to the dense wood of the guayacán tree.
Awards:
Pura Belpre
Award 2009
Newbery Honor
Book 2009
Bank
Street-Claudia Lewis Award 2009
Bank
Street-Best Children’s Book of the Year 2009
ALA Best Books
for Young Adults
Junior Library
Guild Selection
Reviews:
“Engle
writes her new book in clear, short lines of stirring free verse. Caught by the
compelling narrative voices, many readers will want to find out more.” – Booklist
“A powerful narrative in free
verse . . . haunting.” - The Horn Book
“Hauntingly
beautiful, revealing pieces of Cuba's troubled past through the poetry of
hidden moments.” - School Library
Journal
Also by Margarita Engle:
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of
Juan Francisco Manzano - ISBN
The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette’s
Journey to Cuba - ISBN
Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in
Cuba - ISBN
More Activities:
A great
resource with links to PBS, National Geographic, and many others (including a
five minute video “Cuba for Kids”).Created for course 5603.21 at Texas Woman's University
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