*Summary:
In a free-verse poetry format, Margarita Engle tells the tale of a 13 year old boy named Daniel who has escaped from Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Daniel finds himself on a ship that turned away from several ports before being allowed to dock in Cuba. Daniel hangs on to the hope that one day he will be re-united with his parents and refuses to really let himself get settled in Cuba. Eventually, Daniel realizes that this dream may not come true and he makes several friends on the island, including a young girl named Paloma and an old man named David. The three friends' friendship grows as they face a situation that Daniel could have never anticipated: the persecution of another religious group. Daniel, David, and Paloma work together to keep an elderly couple safe from persecution.
In a free-verse poetry format, Margarita Engle tells the tale of a 13 year old boy named Daniel who has escaped from Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. Daniel finds himself on a ship that turned away from several ports before being allowed to dock in Cuba. Daniel hangs on to the hope that one day he will be re-united with his parents and refuses to really let himself get settled in Cuba. Eventually, Daniel realizes that this dream may not come true and he makes several friends on the island, including a young girl named Paloma and an old man named David. The three friends' friendship grows as they face a situation that Daniel could have never anticipated: the persecution of another religious group. Daniel, David, and Paloma work together to keep an elderly couple safe from persecution.
*Bibliography:
Engle, M. (2009). Tropical secrets: Holocaust refugees
in Cuba. New York: Henry Holt.
*My Rating:
I think I am biased in my rating of this book. As a Cuban-American, I found this story really interesting because of all the twinkles of Cuban culture thrown into the book. I also loved the book's format, which was all free-verse poetry. I learned a lot about a part of Cuban history that I had no idea about, without having to read a strictly informational text about the concept. I like that instead of providing a historical account of Holocaust refugees, Engle chose to humanize this experience so that readers could relate better. I also really liked the characters in this book, and feel like the poetry format allows the reader to get a more intimate view into each character's mind.
I think I am biased in my rating of this book. As a Cuban-American, I found this story really interesting because of all the twinkles of Cuban culture thrown into the book. I also loved the book's format, which was all free-verse poetry. I learned a lot about a part of Cuban history that I had no idea about, without having to read a strictly informational text about the concept. I like that instead of providing a historical account of Holocaust refugees, Engle chose to humanize this experience so that readers could relate better. I also really liked the characters in this book, and feel like the poetry format allows the reader to get a more intimate view into each character's mind.
*Review:
This moving free-verse historical novel tells the tale of
thirteen-year-old Daniel, a Jewish refugee who escapes Nazi Germany in 1939 in
hopes of finding safety abroad. After being turned away from several ports,
Daniel's ship finally brings him to Cuba. Daniel's young life is already rife
with tragedy ("Last year in Berlin/ on the Night of Crystal,/ my
grandfather was killed/ while I held his hand"), and he lives only for the
dream that someday he might be reunited with his parents. In Cuba, Daniel meets
others with secrets of their own, most notably Paloma, a young Cuban girl, and
David, an elderly Ukrainian refugee who, because he speaks Yiddish, provides Daniel with a linguistic bridge in his early months. The
story's central conflict shifts dramatically when, two years into Daniel's
residency on the island, Pearl Harbor is bombed, and Cuba's anger at the Axis
powers translates into a strong anti-German sentiment. The poems alternate
among the voices of Daniel, Paloma, David, and, occasionally, Paloma's father;
as the novel progresses, their stories are more fully revealed. Whereas Engle's
previous offerings (The Surrender Tree, BCCB 5/08, The Poet Slave of
Cuba, BCCB 7/06) focused on real historical figures, this book instead
presents a fictional portrait of a specific time and place. The historical
context remains a core feature of the novel, but the emphasis on the inner life
of the characters gives the narrative an emotional drama that transcends its
period. Offer this to readers attracted to strong, introspective characters, or
use it as a group readaloud in conjunction with a Holocaust unit. A brief
author's note ties themes of the story to the author's own life, and an
historical note provides background info on Jewish refugees in Cuba.
Glantz, S. (2009). Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refuqees
in Cuba. Library Media Connection, 28(2), 75.
*Uses in a library:
This book could be included in a Holocaust display alongside such books as The Diary of Anne Frank, and other popular Holocaust books. This would provide patrons with a more wide array of information and perspectives about the Holocaust.
This book could be included in a Holocaust display alongside such books as The Diary of Anne Frank, and other popular Holocaust books. This would provide patrons with a more wide array of information and perspectives about the Holocaust.
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