Read Online Tropical Secrets Holocaust Refugees in Cuba Margarita Engle Books

Product details Paperback 224 pages Publisher Square Fish; Reprint edition (December 12, 2017) Language English ISBN-10 1250129818

Tropical Secrets Holocaust Refugees in Cuba Margarita Engle Books Reviews

• Loved it! Minor unknown chapter of WWII narrated thru eyes of a 12 year-old girl and 13 year-old Jewish refugee boy. Broke my heart to learn that Canada and USA turned away ships full of people escaping from the Nazis! Story doesn't explain how US went from turning them away to its contemporary relationship with Israel...
• This book is written from a very intimate perspective in that the characters each tell their own story as if they are speaking to the reader personally. I was a little surprised at first, when I opened the book, because it seemed as though it was more a book of poetry than a book of history. It is both. Beautifully written in elegant prose, this story could only have been told by someone who had experienced these events firsthand. I absolutely loved it and will go back and read it again. I usually give books away after I read them. Not this one; it is a keeper! I thank the author for giving us such a treasure.
• Love this book. This book uses poetry to tell a unique story about the Holocaust and it focuses on a boy that was sent to Cuba in a ship that was supposed to go to the United States. It's told in a nice way from a child's perspective for the most part.
• The unusual topic of the plight of Holocaust refugees is told from the perspective of several characters, each with a distinct voice. Engle's evocative language in this beautifully crafted story is an outstanding example of the novel in verse genre. Daniel is a young refugee who hopes to find his parents, but his sense of despair and lonliness as he arrives in Cuba is heartbreaking. His words pull the reader in from the fist page. Last year in Berlin, on the Night of Crystal, my grandfather was killed while I held his hand...How can hatred have such a beautiful name? Crystal should be clear, but on that night the glass of broken windows did not glitter. A reader cannot finish the page without a visceral response. Paloma is the daughter of a shipping Lord who controls the refugees and profits from their entry. She lives in the dovecoat of her castle, with the birds, sneakily helps the refugees, and longs for her mother who has abandoned the family. She befriends Daniel, along with David. David is also a Jewish refugee who has made a life selling ice cream in Cuba. Through their voices, the political dynamics of Cuba after the war are revealed. The backdrop of Cuban culture is also shared through descriptions of people, places, and cultural celebrations. With friendship and the passage of time, David begins to heal, and so does Paloma. This breathtaking book pays homage to refugees of Cuba and those who supported them. Not only will readers learn about a little discussed historical event, they will fully engage in a beautifully told story whose characters resonate long after the last page is read. - BARBARA BIETZ - OAK PARK, CA
• Very little has been written about the Holocaust refugees who, denied entry to the United States and other countries, found refuge in Cuba. This book uses poetry to tell the story of one such escapee from Nazi Germany who lands in Cuba with nothing but his woollen coat and winter clothes. A beautiful young girl helps him to acclimate to the island life style, but she has her own reasons to want to escape. Daniel shares his fear of the horrors he left behind and his reluctance to embrace the island life through a series of poems in his voice. Paloma tells her story in poetry also as she tries to help Daniel and the other refugees despite the fact that her father is "El Gordo," the man who is keeping the other refugee ships from landing and who is threatening to send the refugees already in Cuba back to Germany. David, an old man who came to Cuba from Russia, and who is Jewish like Daniel, helps the two children as they learn to share their feelings and overcome their fears.
  The poems are haunting in their imagery and honesty. Each character speaks with a distinctive voice. Although the story has some action, it is mostly a novel of character. The reader gets to know each character and watch as Daniel and Paloma change and grow. This book is highly recommended for middle school and high school students who want a different Holocaust story. A historical note at the end of the book puts the actual historical events in a context that will help young readers relate to the events in the story. For ages 12 and up. Susan Dubin