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The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom
The Surrender Tree (Henry Holt & Company)
ISBN: 9780805086744
Hardcover: 169 p.List Price: $16.95
Cuban-American artist and journalist Margarita Engle has yet again put forth an elegantly weaved narrative of memory and celebration in honor of the unsung heroes of war; healers, both in the physical and spiritual sense. Though the poems are voiced through several characters both male and female and of various ages and ethnicities, Engle’s main character is Rosa la Bayamesa, or an imagining of the historical figure Rosario Castellanos Castellanos, a native Cuban who users her knowledge of the island’s wildlife to become a nurse and lead at times a literal underground movement during the pentacle of Spanish oppression. However, the loosely-connected plot actually traces Rosa’s childhood, adolescence, and adult experiences from the inception of the Cuban uprisings (which began nearly fifty years before her birth) up through the involvement of the United States and what would eventually be known as the Spanish-American War (1898). Following the end of the collection are about ten pages within which to better contextualize the experiences described throughout the poetry in the form of an author’s note on the stories shared among generations of healers in her family, a historical note and chronology of the various stages of the Revolution (through 1903), as well as a reference/further reading list. Though the technical reading level is not beyond that of older primary levels, the combination of themes, images, tone, and history are better suited for middle and high school audiences.
Considering the current affairs of not only the world but also the United States (involvement in a now lengthy and agonizing war, the current election and political unrest), Engle and her publishers over at Henry Holt and Co. may have published a book that is subtle but extremely relevant to our time. One of the more poignant and prominent aspects of this collection is its unflinching exploration of the Spanish-led “Reconcentration Camps” instituted, a point which has garnered a more thorough review over at School Library Journal contributing blogger Diane Chen’s “Practically Paradise” (entry on 4/20/2008). Another strong motif in the work is that of nature and respect to the earth and the power of its natural gifts through which Rosa creates her medicines and cures. Rosa’s descriptions of her ingredients as well as the beauty of the Cuban landscape will likely resonate with novice and seasoned environmentalists alike. Combined, the poems illustrate how war is a burden to all, across plants, animals, and people alike.
Together the literary and artistic significance of Engle’s work will surely put her out front for a second consecutive year in the race for the 2009 Pura Belpré Medal, and as well, might be a likely nod for either The Michael L. Printz Medal or Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. For an interesting perspective (and a mini-reference project), introduce young readers to primary documents from the turn of the century discussing the Cuban Uprising from Spain, such as this editorial sent by the anonymous “Raconteur” to the New York Times in January 1896. History is a continually changing, living creature which Engle’s latest work strongly reinforces.
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