kids encyclopedia robot

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

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom
The surrender tree.png
Author Margarita Engle
Country United States
Language English
Genre Narrative verse
Publisher Square Fish
Publication date
 March 16, 2010
Media type Print
Pages 384
ISBN 978-0312608712
OCLC 156845784

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom is a verse novel set in Cuba, written by Margarita Engle and published in 2010. It received the award of a John Newbery Honor in 2009.

Plot

The novel opens in Cuba in 1886, at a time when it was still ruled by the Spanish Empire and Cubans have fought for years for their independence. Rosa, considered by some to be a witch, is a nurse that has the gift of healing. As a child she learns a holistic way of healing with flowers and herbs. Ten years later she uses these skills to aid the suffering, as many people starve and grow sick in Weyler's concentration camps. Rosa does not discriminate against anyone needing help, and turns caves into hospitals that are hidden and known only to a few. The slave hunter, Lieutenant Death, has become obsessed with finding Rosa, and destroying the hospitals that she has created.

Characters

  • Rosa: once a slave and then turned into a nurse healer
  • Lieutenant Death: Slave hunter
  • Valeriano Weyler, 1st Duke of Rubí: A ruthless army officer
  • Silvia: orphan child

Historical basis

The character of Rosa is based on a historical Cuban heroine, Rosa Castellanos, known as “La bayamesa”. However, the real Rosa was born in 1834 and would have been in her fifties and sixties in the period covered by the novel.

Awards

  • 2009 Newbery Honor
  • 2009 Pura Belpre Medal
  • 2009 Claudia Lewis Award
  • 2009 Jane Adams Children’s Book
  • Michigan Great Lakes Great Books Award Master List
  • Lee Bennett Hopkins Honor
  • ALA Best Books for Young Adults
  • Americas Award
  • Booklist Editor’s Choice
  • Junior Library Guild Selection
  • ALA Notable Book
  • NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book
  • Amelia Bloomer Book
  • Kansas State Reading Circle
kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.