The Surrender Tree

It is 1896, and Cuba is a country wrought with war.  People are forced into concentration camps and death and illness are rampant. Rosa is a natural healer, always has been, and with the help of her husband, they heal the sick and take care of people during this tumultuous time. The concentration camps are too risky to enter to help people, so Rosa and her husband set up a makeshift hospital in a cave, hoping that the sick will find her. She must stay hidden to keep from Lieutenant Death. He seeks to destroy Rosa, a freed slave, and all those she hopes to help. Rosa gives hope in a hopeless time, especially to Silvia, who has lost her entire family. Silvia learns from Rosa, how to hope and how to heal.

If you enjoyed reading Persepolis, you will love The Surrender Tree. This is historical fiction written in free verse, and will reach those reluctant historical fiction readers. Many of the characters that come and go were real and the setting is so bleak that Margarita Engle’s use of beautiful imagery truly gives you hope.

Chapter 6: Fiction Genres for Adolescents

Poetry

Poetry is a tricky genre for most adolescents. It can seem like pulling teeth to get teens to read and analyze poetry, however this novel is quite the exception. Not only does Margarita Engle weave a tale of desperation and hope during war in Cuba, but she writes in a way that it is easy to read, easy to follow, and makes it easy to love poetry.

Engle, M. (2008). The surrender tree: Poems of Cuba's struggle for freedom. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.