“Like the firefly light, Engle's poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.” ―Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women's rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor.” ―Publishers Weekly
“Through this moving combination of historical viewpoints, Engle creates dramatic tension among the characters, especially in the story of Elena, who makes a surprising sacrifice.” ―Booklist
“This engaging title documents 50-year-old Swedish suffragette and novelist Fredrika Bremer's three-month travels around Cuba in 1851. …The easily digestible, poetic narrative makes this a perfect choice for reluctant readers, students of the women's movement, those interested in Cuba, and teens with biography assignments.” ―School Library Journal
“The author has a gift for imbuing seemingly effortless text with powerful emotions. . . .This uncommon story will resonate when placed in the hands of the right reader.” ―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
“The imagistic, multiple first-person narrative works handily in revealing Bremer, an alert and intelligent woman in rebellion against her background of privilege.” ―The Horn Book
About the Author
Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She is the author of young adult nonfiction books and novels in verse including The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor Book, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Hurricane Dancers, The Firefly Letters, and Tropical Secrets. She lives in northern California.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The Firefly Letters
A Suffragette's Journey to CubaBy Margarita EngleHenry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Copyright © 2010 Margarita Engle
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780805090826
Matanzas, Cuba
CECILIAI
I remember a wide river
and gray parrots with patches of red feathers
flashing across the African sky
like traveling stars
or Cuban fireflies.
In the silence of night
I still hear my mother wailing,
and I see my father’s eyes
refusing to meet mine.
I was eight, plenty old enough
to understand that my father was haggling
with a wandering slave trader,
agreeing to exchange me
for a stolen cow.Spanish sea captains and Arab merchants
are not the only men
who think of girls
as livestock.
Excerpted from The Firefly Letters by .
Copyright © 2010 by Margarita Engle.
Published in 2010 by Henry Holt and Company.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
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Excerpted from The Firefly Letters by Margarita Engle Copyright © 2010 by Margarita Engle. Excerpted by permission.
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