Bibliography:
Engle, Margarita. 2006. The Poet Slave of Cuba. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805077063
Engle, Margarita. 2006. The Poet Slave of Cuba. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 9780805077063
Plot Summary:
Juan Manzano and his family were slaves in Cuba in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Juan is able to recite poetry in many languages at a very early age and becomes the "pet" of his first owner, Dona Beatriz. Dona Beatriz sets Juan's parents free at Juan's baptism, but says she will keep Juan for herself until she dies. However, after her death, Juan is still not set free. Instead, Juan's parents do not see him for five years. He has come under the ownership of the evil La Marquesa de Prado Ameno. Juan is punished and tortured on a regular basis. La Marquesa's son, Don Nicolas, tries to help Juan, but his mother is ruthless and there is little he can do. Eventually Juan is able to escape in the night by horseback. Some historical notes and examples of Juan's poetry are included.
Juan Manzano and his family were slaves in Cuba in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Juan is able to recite poetry in many languages at a very early age and becomes the "pet" of his first owner, Dona Beatriz. Dona Beatriz sets Juan's parents free at Juan's baptism, but says she will keep Juan for herself until she dies. However, after her death, Juan is still not set free. Instead, Juan's parents do not see him for five years. He has come under the ownership of the evil La Marquesa de Prado Ameno. Juan is punished and tortured on a regular basis. La Marquesa's son, Don Nicolas, tries to help Juan, but his mother is ruthless and there is little he can do. Eventually Juan is able to escape in the night by horseback. Some historical notes and examples of Juan's poetry are included.
Critical Analysis:
A biography written in verse sounds like an odd combination, but it is an absolutely perfect fit for the biography of Cuban poet and slave Juan Fransisco Manzano. The imagery and emotion evoked by Engle's poetry is intense. Juan's pain seem more real, his suffering more great. The poetry makes La Marquesa de Prado Ameno's insanity more insane. In addition, the organization of the verse novel is brilliant. Engle breaks the poetry up by giving voice to the various people in Juan's life. This gives the reader many different perspectives in which to view Juan. This organizational tool is eye opening and brings to light the misunderstandings, feelings, and inner workings of all involved. Winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Narrative.
A biography written in verse sounds like an odd combination, but it is an absolutely perfect fit for the biography of Cuban poet and slave Juan Fransisco Manzano. The imagery and emotion evoked by Engle's poetry is intense. Juan's pain seem more real, his suffering more great. The poetry makes La Marquesa de Prado Ameno's insanity more insane. In addition, the organization of the verse novel is brilliant. Engle breaks the poetry up by giving voice to the various people in Juan's life. This gives the reader many different perspectives in which to view Juan. This organizational tool is eye opening and brings to light the misunderstandings, feelings, and inner workings of all involved. Winner of the 2008 Pura Belpre Medal for Narrative.
Review Excerpt(s):
School Library Journal: "This is a book that should be read by young and old, black and white, Anglo and Latino."
Starred review from Booklist: "In plain, stirring free verse, Engle dramatizes the boyhood of the nineteenth-century Cuban slave Juan Francisco Manzano, who secretly learned to read and wrote poetry about beauty and courage in his world of unspeakable brutality."
School Library Journal: "This is a book that should be read by young and old, black and white, Anglo and Latino."
Starred review from Booklist: "In plain, stirring free verse, Engle dramatizes the boyhood of the nineteenth-century Cuban slave Juan Francisco Manzano, who secretly learned to read and wrote poetry about beauty and courage in his world of unspeakable brutality."
Kirkus Reviews: "In impassioned and eloquent free verse, Engle captures not only the deep sensibilities of the various characters but also the enervating atmosphere of nineteenth-century Cuba."
Publisher's Weekly: "Engle (Skywriting, for adults) achieves an impressive synergy between poetry and biography as she illuminates the tortured life of the 19th-century Cuban poet."
Connections:
Read this biography along with some of Manzano's actual poetry: The life and poems of a Cuban slave : Juan Francisco Manzano, 1797-1854 / edited by Edward J. Mullen.
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