Bibliography:
Engle, Margarita. 2008. THE SURRENDER TREE: POEMS OF CUBA’S
STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 085086749
Plot Summary:
It’s
1896 in Cuba, peasants were ordered to leave their farms and villages and given
eight days to reach the concentration camps or risk being killed. The camps are filled with illness and very little
food. It portrays the life of Rosario
Castellanos, known as Rosa la Bayamesa. Rosa,
a nurse, grew up a slave child and taught about healing flowers by her
grandmother. She goes through three
decades of war, hiding in the jungle caves, healing the wounded with medicines
made from wild plants.
Critical Analysis:
This is a very emotional, heartbreaking book. Once the reader starts reading, it will be
hard to put down. This historical novel
is written in free verse, easy to read and feels like a journal. The book pages are typed on thick paper to
have the feel of It is appropriate for older students junior high and up. The author focuses on the horrific challenges
the characters faced from different viewpoints on each page; Lt. Death, “But
then my father chops each body into four pieces, and locks each piece in a
cage…that way, my father tells me, the other slaves will be afraid to kill
themselves,” “I hate to think what my father would say if he knew that I am
scared,” Rosa, “Secretly, I hide and
weep when I learn that my owner has agreed to loan me to the slave hunter.” She
uses Spanish words throughout the book.
The
main theme of the book is hope to gain independence, as Lt. Death writes, “I
don’t understand why they never give up!
Why don’t they lose hope?” This
book succeeds in having the struggles, emotions, and passion of characters be
felt by the reader.
There isn't any illustrations in side this book except on the cover. It's a simple black and red image on a bold yellow back ground of a hand holding what seems to be a delicate tree. There's red on the roots of the tree giving the impression that even though it has gone through hardship, it has mended and risen. Breath taking!
I didn’t think I’d enjoy this book so much, Margarita Engle
just became one of my favorite authors.
Review Excerpts:
- - Americas Award
- - An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
- - ALA Notable Book
- - Amelia Bloomer book
- - Kansas State Reading Circle
- - A Bank Street College of Education best Book
- - A New York Public Library Best Books for the Teen Age
- - A CCBC Choice
- - Newbery Honor Book- 2009
- - Pura Belpre Award for Writing- 2009
- - Jane Addams Children’s Book Award
- - Claudia Lewis Award
- - Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
- - Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor
- - A bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book
o
“The moving poetry and finely crafted story will
draw readers in and leave them in tears and in awe.”
- - A Booklist Editor’s Choice
o
“Readers will hear the stories –and never forget
them.” –Booklist, starred review
Connections:
The Spanish version of THE SURRENDER TREE/EL ARBOL DE LA
RENDICION
The website “Vamos a Leer” has a complete guide available
for download at no cost:
You can also find the Spanish version: https://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/guia-educativa-el-arbol-de-la-rendicion-poemas-de-la-lucha-de-cuba-por-libertad/
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