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Nov 29, 2009
Kris
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Margarita Engle teaches children another fascinating time in Cuban history in Tropical Secrets Holocaust Refugees in Cuba. When Holocaust survivors left Europe they landed in different parts of the Americas. This story focuses on three main characters. Daniel is a young boy whose means of escape was a ship to Cuba. Paloma is a young Cuban girl who wants to help, even hiding people in the dovecote in her backyard. David is a Cuban Jew who is able to connect with Daniel through the Yiddish languag
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I honestly don't get why this book has received so much critical acclaim. The subject matter was very interesting, yes, (I didn't know Jewish refugees from the Holocaust were turned away from New York harbors and sent to Cuba) but the writing was not what I would call top-notch, especially for poetry. The voices of the different characters were not distinct. It didn't strike me as especially beautiful or moving. In fact, one of the first stanzas made me cringe:
"My parents are musicians--/poor p ...more
"My parents are musicians--/poor p ...more
Told in verse with four voices, Margarita Engle’s Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba (Henry Holt, 2009) is based on the exploitation of the Jews as they flee Nazi controlled Europe, and the problems of adapting to their new environment. Exorbitant fees were charged for passage on these ships and disembarkation was not guaranteed without additional fees. Cuba, the setting for this story, actually took in a higher proportion of Jews than the United States. thirteen year old Daniel has fl
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A beautiful story told in verse and in the voice of Daniel, who escapes from Nazi Germany because of his parents' sacrifice. He ends up in Cuba because no other countries will allow the Jewish refugees aboard the ship to enter their ports. Then we meet Paloma, whose father is charging refugees to enter Cuba while she secretly helps feed and shelter refugees. David also tells his story. He too is a Jewish refugee from Russia and another time and wants to help the newest refugees.
The historical an ...more
The historical an ...more
Historical fiction written in verse that tells the story of a Holocaust refugee boy, Daniel, in Cuba. A Cuban girl, Paloma, and Russian immigrant, David, befriend him and each add their own voice about the early years of the war. The verse allows a very accessible and less terrifying way to introduce topics like concentration camps, Kristallnacht, and Cuba's role in accepting Jewish refugees.
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This is not my favorite of Engle's books. The others felt more personal to the main characters, and I cared about them more, felt more urgency about their situation. This one wasn't a gripping as the others. Still, she does a wonderful job telling personal stories through verse.
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I checked out The Surrender Tree and never wound up reading it (I think I was judging it by its cover), but I was pretty blown away by this story. I'm adding it to my read-aloud list for next year.
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While I didn't love this as much as The Surrender Tree, it's very good, and accessible for a younger audience than that one.
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Jun 08, 2009
Liz
marked it as to-read
Recommended with 5 stars by Elizabeth Bird
Brilliant story, well written.
Jan 28, 2009
Rachel
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Jun 06, 2009
Megan
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Nov 14, 2009
Barbara
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Jan 04, 2010
Gin
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May 05, 2011
Beth
marked it as middle-grade-to-read
Jun 12, 2014
Crystal
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Jan 12, 2015
Lisagarden
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Feb 02, 2015
Maggi Rohde
marked it as to-read
