The Poet Slave of Cuba (MG/YA)

The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. By Margarita Engle. Art by Sean Qualls. 2006. Henry Holt. 192 pages.

My mind is a brush made of feathers
painting pictures of words
I remember
all that I see
every syllable
each word a twin of itself
telling two stories
at the same time
one of sorrow
the other hope

I read this one. I liked it. But I'm not sure how to describe this one. Not sure if I can find the right words to "review" this one. It's a biography told through verse. It is set in Cuba in the eighteenth century. And it's told through multiple narrators--slaves and slave owners. I liked seeing the multiple perspectives. And I liked Juan's narrative. I thought it worked quite well. I found the story to be compelling.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews