The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom
Bibliography
Engle, M. 2008. THE SURRENDER TREE: POEMS OF CUBA’S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC. ISBN 1397808905086744
Plot Summary
As a young girl and living in Cuba during the 1800s Rosa learned to use the herbs and plants to cure and heal people. As she grows and becomes more aware of how to heal with plants, she is known as a witch. During the three wars that were fought in Cuba, she was pursued by slavehunters and a death bounty was put on her head. Despite her death sentence, she continues to heal until the United States defeats Spain and the Cuban people are free.
Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)
THE SURRENDER TREE: POEMS OF CUBA’S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM is a novel in free-verse. The verses contain a sense of dramatic scenes and action between the main characters (Rosa, Jose, Lieutenant Death, Captain-General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, Marquis of Tenerife, Empire of Spain and Silvia). The verse structure consists of stanzas and lines. Although the verses don’t contain many elements, they contain very descriptive words of what is happening in each verse. For example, Rosa states, “The wind is an evil wind”. Meaning there is a lot of death and pain around her. The author uses very descriptive words in order for the reader to create images of what is happening in each verse. Therefore, the reader can vividly connect with the character’s struggles and anguish, like a movie playing in the reader’s head. The author uses the first page to explain the setting, time period and plot of the verses. It is important to note that the author depicts all events in chronological order, which allows the reader to understand the events in the novel.
The author uses several culture markers that are authentic to natives of Cuba. The first cultural marker is the setting. Throughout the verses the author uses very descriptive words to describe the surroundings. For example, people lived in caves, jungles, farms and villages. The use of the vegetation found in Cuba is also described. For example, the coffee groves and sugarcanes fields.
Another culture marker is the language the author uses in the verses. In the verses titled Rosa, the author uses words native to Cuba. Some of the words are: “cimarrones”, “pesos”, “un sinsonte”(Cuban Mockingbird), “Mira-Cielo”, “Soledad”, “Domingo”, Dios Da”, “El Médico”, “La Madre”, and many other words that make the novel authentic to Cuba.
Another culture marker is the time period and the events of the novel. Cuba did have three wars during that time period. During the ten years’ war 1868-78, Spain wanted to take over the island. During the little war 1878-80, the Cuban people wanted to regain control of Cuba. The last war was The War of Independence 1895-98, during this war the U.S. intervened and Cuba was able to regain their independence with certain conditions. The conditions followed the The Surrender tree event 1898-99, in which in the novel, the American met with Cuban leaders under a kapok tree (a ceiba) to request their conditions.It was in this part of the novel, where Rosa and Jose come in contact with other cultures. They met different types of colored and white soldiers and the Rough Riders (Cherokee and Chippewa). They also met Native American nuns (Lakota Sioux), as well as the famous nurse Clara Barton.
Overall the novel consists of many Cuban culture markers that make it authentic to that culture. The author utilizes these characters and events to provide Cuba’s history in that time period.The author makes strong connections between the language, environments and events of that time period.
Review Experts
Newbery Honor Book 2009
Pura Belpre Award 2009
Jane Addams Children's Book Awards 2009
Kirkus Review: Tales of political dissent can prove, at times, to be challenging reads for youngsters, but this fictionalized version of the Cuban struggle for independence from Spain may act as an entry to the form.
The poems offer rich character portraits through concise, heightened language, and their order within the cycle provides suspense. Four characters tell the bulk of the story: Rosa, a child who grows up to be a nurse who heals the wounded, sick and starving with herbal medicine; her husband, José, who helps her move makeshift hospitals from cave to cave; Silvia, an orphaned girl who escapes a slave camp so that she may learn from Rosa; and Lieutenant Death, a hardened boy who grows up wanting only to kill Rosa and all others like her. Stretching from 1850 to 1899, these poems convey the fierce desire of the Cuban people to be free.
Young readers will come away inspired by these portraits of courageous ordinary people. (author’s note, historical note, chronology, references) (Fiction/poetry. 12+)
Connections
Our World: Cuba by Terry Catasus Jennings
Teachers and librarians are able to use the book to have students create a character wheel.
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