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Gr 6 Up—Engle has produced a fabulous work of historical fiction about Cuban poet, author, antislavery activist and feminist Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda. Written in free verse, the story tells of how Tula, which was her childhood nickname, grows up in libraries, which she calls "a safe place to heal/and dream…," influenced by the poetry of José María Heredia. In Tula's voice, Engle writes, "Books are door shaped/portals/carrying me/across oceans/and centuries,/helping me feel/less alone." She takes elements from Avellaneda's novel Sab, which is believed to be autobiographical, and creates a portrai...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

"So sorry that I am not / the sort of daughter / my mother can love," laments Tula. At thirteen, she wonders "how many slaves / Mamá will buy with the money / she gains by marrying me to / the highest bidder." Mamá herself twice thwarted her wealthy father by marrying for love; now, however, she schemes to regain her inheritance through her unwilling daughter. Tula's love is language -- the banned words of the poet Heredia "refusing to accept / the existence of slavery" and her own wor...Log In or Sign Up to Read More