The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle

Engle, Margarita. The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom.  New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2008. ISBN: 10-0-8050-8674-9.

SUMMARY

Margarita Engle's book The Surrender Tree accomplishes the incomprehensible by evoking images of hope and love in the war torn Cuba. Written in poetic verse, the story of Rosa and José, a wife and husband who nurse injured men, women, and children during the Cuban Revolution, unfolds before the reader. The story begins when Rosa is a child-slave owned by one of Cuba's plantation owners. In 1868, the plantation's owner frees his slaves and joins the revolt for Cuba's freedom from Spain. Thus begins the thirty year revolution. Throughout it all, Rosa, who learned the art of healing using herbs and flowers while she was a slave, uses her skills to heal all people, regardless of race or political views, who come to her. Her reputation as a healer grows, and she becomes a hero and inspiration to the rebels. However, her reputation makes her a marked woman, as the Spanish forces begin to hunt her in order to kill her. If they can kill her, they will strike at the morale of the rebels. By staying in hidden caves or mobile hospitals within the protection of the Cuban jungles, Rosa evades the Spaniards for thirty years, especially one called Lieutenant Death. His vengeance against her is personal, as he and she were both children at the same plantation where she was a slave and he was the son of the man who tracked, and often killed, runaway slaves. Her goodness confuses him to the point of obsession to find the Witch who continues to heal both bodies and souls.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The Surrender Tree reveals the struggle of Cuba's rebels during its thirty-year revolution against Spain. Margarita Engle establishes the storyline on two historical figures: Rosario Castellanos Castallenos and José Francisco Varona who set up and maintained hospitals for the rebel forces throughout the three decades of war. Engle writes in verse; The poems together create the powerful image of the struggles of the rebels as they try to defeat the controlling Spanish army. Yet, each poem is unique and can stand alone without the others to awaken emotions of the reader. Imagery of the jungle's beauty, the horror of death, the sadness of watching loved ones die all call to the reader to see, to hear, to feel, to understand. As each poem unfolds unto another, the passions and despair of the people grow deeper as the war continues. Miraculously, though, hope continues to inspire them to continue their quest for freedom.

There are only five characters in the story: Rosa, the nurse; Jose, her husband who is also a nurse; Silvia, a child survivor of a reconcentration camp (the precursor to Hitler's horror); Lieutenant Death, a slave hunter;  and Lieutenant-General Valeriano Weyler y Nicolau, Marquis of Tenerife, Empire of Spain. Engle's verses reveal their thoughts throughout the book, and it is through their thoughts and feelings the stages of the struggle are revealed: the slave days, the initial revolt, the never-ending battles, the reconcentration camp, and the victory of the United States over Spain.  The use of verse makes the humanity in war become real - the struggle between good and evil, love and hate, hope and despair, strength and weariness.

A heart-wrenching poem at the end of the book awakens a sad awareness of Cuba's past, so often misunderstood by Americans unfamiliar with Cuban history. Throughout the book, the reader's compassion for the rebels strengthens and hope for their victory grows. In 1898, the American forces enter the war against Spain. In the United States it is known as the Spanish-American war, a retaliation against Spain for destroying the U.S. battleship Maine. America's entry into the war renews the rebels' belief that victory against Spain will be theirs as the great country from the North will assist them in gaining their freedom. Yet, the tragic truth is revealed  when Spain is defeated. Rosa sadly observes, "We helped them win/their strange victory/against Spain./We imagined they were here/to help us gain freedom/we've craved for so long./We were inspired by their wars/for freedom from England/and freedom for slaves./We helped them win/this strange victory/over us." After thirty years of war against Spain, Cuba and her people become the possessions of the United States.

Historical books on wars state facts, dates, and names- a disinterested accounting of a historical event. Engle, however, writes a historical book on the Cuban struggle for independence. Her book accomplishes something powerful when she uses verse as her sword: She reveals the emotions of her book's historical characters invoking passion on the part of the reader. At the closing of the last page, the reader understands that in war zones there are very real people with hopes, dreams, and fears that are shared by all of humanity.

AWARDS AND REVIEWS

ALA Notable Children's Books 2009

Booklist starred 03/15/08

Newbery Honor 2009

Pura Belpre Author Award 2009

2009 Bank Street-Claudia Lewis Award

2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year

"Engle's haunting poetry explores themes of oppression, war, and human rights through the lens of one woman's determination." Horn Book

"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." Kirkus Reviews

CONNECTIONS

Novel in Verse, ages 12+

* Margarita Engle's website: http://margaritaengle.com/

* Listen to Margarita Engle read one of the poems from The Surrender Tree: http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=2436&a=1

Related Books

The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle

Enrichment Activities

* Lesson plan link: http://teachinglatinamericathroughliterature.wordpress.com/the-surrender-tree/

* Another Lesson Plan Link: http://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=10475&a=1

PERSONAL  RESPONSE

Before reading this book, the only thing I could associate with Cuba was Fidel Castro, the Missile Crisis, and Cubans taking boats to Florida to escape the island. After reading this book, I see Cuba as an island filled with people with hopes and dreams. I appreciate learning about the history of Cuba in a memorable book of poetic verse. I never once was bored and now have a deeper understanding of Cuban history.

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom. cover illustration. Internet on-line.  Accessed October 6, 2012 from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/margarita-engle/the-surrender-tree

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom