The Surrender Tree

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Engle, M. 2008. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. (First Edition) Henry Holt and Co. ISBN-10: 0805086749

PLOT SUMMARY

Margarita Engle writes a heart-wrenching, emotional, and hope-filled narrative poem in The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom (Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards for Book for Older Children 2009). Engle creates a beautiful and inspirational narrative about a historical time period in Cuba from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. The 2009 John Newbery Medal award winning book, tells about a young “witch” girl named Rosa, who endures years of war as a slave nurse. Rebels, rejects, runaway slaves, Spanish ex-military men and other “witches” join forces to escape the evil men who try to hunt them down through the forests of Cuba. The beautiful Cuban paradise is a dangerous war zone with men hunting men down for their freedom. Rosa is both famous and infamous for her curing abilities. The Spanish military had a grand reward for anyone who captures and kills Rosa and brings back her ear as proof. Rosa has a one of a kind soul. She uses her curing abilities as a gift to human-kind; never charging her patients, and often healing the enemy. Her rebel peers move from place to place, thriving and surviving in the depths of the Cuban forest; experiencing hunger, illness, fear, and death. Hope is what moves them along through their quest for survival and better futures.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Engle receives the Pura Belpre Award in 2009 for The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom. Based on earlier and newer books, the author writes stories based on recorded and documented historical events, while adding elements of fiction. The characters in her stories are accounts of historical figures and blends in other fictional characters to accommodate to her narrative poetry. In this particular story, Engle focuses on the life of Rosa la Bayamesa, which is a Cuban historical figure from the mid-1800s. Engle writes from different character’s perspectives; Rosa, Lieutenant Death, Jose, General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, and Silvia. Rosa, being the primary character, is portrayed as a caring, understanding, and forgiving soul. She believes her healing abilities are a gift from god and will not deny the enemy of that gift. Engle uses many forms of figurative language and sensory language to aid the reader in experiencing the events with liveliness and presence. One example, “The forest is a land of natural music— tree frogs, nightingales, wind, and the winglets of hummingbirds no bigger than my thumbnail— hummingbirds the size of bees in a forest the size of Eden. José and I travel together, walking through mud, thorns, clouds of wasps, mosquitoes, gnats, and the mist that hides graceful palm trees, and the smoke that hides burning huts, flaming fields, orchards, villages, forts—” helps the reader use all of their senses in this engaging verse. We can hear and see the natural music of the forest and all of its surroundings. With all the visuals provided from the text, we almost feel as if we are part of the rebel group, fighting for survival.

On that note, I believe this incredible story should be read by older children only. Due to its highly vivid verses, it may be very graphic for the younger readers, “But then my father chops each body into four pieces, and locks each piece in a cage, and hangs the four cages on four branches of the same tree. That way, my father tells me, the other slaves will be afraid to kill themselves.” The content may be inappropriate for elementary children, but necessary for the overall essence of the poem. To truly capture the true meaning of this free verse poem, we need to experience even the gruesome bits.

EXCERPTS

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.” (2010)

BOOKLIST ONLINE: “The switching perspectives personalize the dramatic political history, including the establishment of the world’s first “reconcentration camps” to hold prisoners, as well as the role of slave owners who freed their slaves and joined the resistance against Spain. Many readers will be caught by the compelling narrative voices and want to pursue the historical accounts in Engle’s bibliography.” (2008)

TEACHING LATIN AMERICA THROUGH LITERACY: “The Surrender Tree is a unique novel, both for its content and its style.  It tells the story of an often overlooked or overshadowed period in early Cuban history when the country was embroiled in three different wars for independence between 1868-1898.  In an unexpected move, the author, Margarita Engle, chooses to tell the story in verse form.” (2012)

CONNECTIONS

Teacher Activity: Have students identify 3 major forms of figurative language used in the story and draw a depiction of the lines. Post on the wall for other students to view.

GT Students: Students will conduct extensive research about the wars in the mid-1800s through the early 1900s and the struggles certain groups of people faced and how they thrived.

Family Discussion (Parental Involvement): Families open up for discussion about difficult events in human history and the advancements and progress different groups of people have made since then.

Library Activity: Have more books available about women as historical figures.

-Abramson, A. and Harrison, N. 2007. Who Was Anne Frank? Penguin Publishing Group.

ISBN-13:

9780756981662

-Spinner, S. 2014. Who Was Clara Barton? Penguin Young Readers Book.

ISBN-13:

9780448479538

-McDounough, Y. and Harrison, N. 2002. Who Was Harriet Tubman. Penguin Publishing Group. 

ISBN-13:

9780756915902