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| Sugar Plantation - from the NYPL Digital Gallery |
New York : Henry Holt, 2006.
183 p. : ill. ; 21 cm.
I'm not sure why this 2008 Pura Belpre Award winner didn't grab my attention until recently. Maybe it's just that I'm not sure that biographies in verse are very effective (or appealing to young readers). However, the book was recently turned in, and and I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did!
The book tells - in poetry - the amazing (and heart breaking) story of Juan Francisco Manzano (1797-1854) a slave and poet who excelled at literature, yet suffered horrendous cruelty and was eventually silenced by repression.
Though the poetry is accessible and interesting, I think some students might find the details of Manzano's life a bit confusing. He is celebrated by some of Cuba's literati of the time and granted freedom (that is never achieved) by his first "owner" - while his second "owner" both dotes on him and subjects him to grotesque abuse. However, the story of Manzano is so compelling -and his accomplishments in such a hellish world so wondrous - that I'd be pleased to recommend this book to any student looking for a slave narrative, a compelling tale in verse, or a resource on slavery or Cuban history.
The notes at the end of the book are helpful and a few excerpts of Manzano's poetry bring the character of Engle's poems to life.
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