The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom is a verse novel set in Cuba, written by Margarita Engle and published in 2008. 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.

Critical reception

The Surrender Tree received positive reviews. The Horn Book Magazine wrote, “A powerful narrative in free verse...haunting.”Jane, López-Santillana. The Surrender Tree: Poems Of Cuba's. Horn Book Magazine 84.4 (2008): 465-466. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Voice of Youth Advocates called the poems "short but incredibly evocative”."Pure Poetry: VOYA's Poetry Picks For 2008." Voice Of Youth Advocates 32.1 (2009): 13. Library & Information Science Source. Web. 25 Nov. 2014 School Library Journal said that the poems were, “Hauntingly beautiful, revealing pieces of Cuba’s troubled past through the poetry of hidden moments”Maza, Jill Heritage. "The Surrender Tree: Poems Of Cuba's Struggle For Freedom." School Library Journal 54.6 (2008): 158-159. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Kirkus Reviews noted that, “Young readers will come away inspired by these portraits of courageous ordinary people”Rochman, Hazel. "The Surrender Tree: Poems Of Cuba's Struggle For Freedom." Booklist 104.14 (2008): 53. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. Vancouver/ICMJEReferences and that “Engle writes her new book in clear, short lines of stirring free verse caught by the compelling narrative voices, many readers will want to find out more.”

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

See also Santiago Surrender Tree Rosa Castellanos article at Spanish Wikipedia

References

External links Review at About.com