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

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 has been viewed by many and seen as a powerful book of poems. The Horn Book Magazine writes “A powerful narrative in free verse...haunting.” “Hauntingly beautiful, revealing pieces of Cuba’s troubled past through the poetry of hidden moments” said School Library Journal. Others may agree with Kirkus Reviews saying that “Young readers will come away inspired by these portraits of courageous ordinary people.” The author “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.” Finally, “The Poems are short but incredibly evocative” according to Voice of Youth Advocates.

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