Publisher Description
How can there be a little war? Are some deaths smaller than others, leaving mothers who weep a little less? Cuba has fought three wars for independence, and still she is not free. Her people have been rounded up in reconcentration camps, where there is always too little food and too much illness. Rosa knows how to heal sickness with medicines made from wild plants. But with a price on her head for helping the rebels, Rosa dares not go out in the open. Instead, she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish–Rosa does her best for everyone, even Lieutenant Death, who has sworn to kill her. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? In this history in verse, acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created a lyrical, powerful portrait of Cuba.
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"I had never heard of these 3 Cuban wars for independence until I read this book. Based on true events, this novel in verse tells the story of Rosa, a traditional healer, as she lives her life hiding in the jungle with the peasants and healing their wounds and illnesses. Beginning when she is a child, and ending when Cuba's government is turned over to the U.S. from Spain, the novel describes a life of constant fear of discovery, of moving from place to place to avoid being caught, of meeting and marrying Jose, together with whom she continues to heal both peasants and Spanish soldiers alike until the wars are finally over. A note at the end of the book gives her full name as Rosario Castellanos Castellanos. I wonder if she and the poet Rosario Castellanos are one and the same? I must investigate. Now I need to read more about the history of Cuba and the Spanish-American war. Highly recommended!"
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Krista (4 out of 5 stars)
About Margarita Engle
Margarita Engle is a Cuban-American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. Her books include the critically acclaimed The Poet Slave of Cuba, which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Bank Street College of Education Best Book, and a Bulletin Blue Ribbon book, among other honors.
About the Narrators
Fred Sanders, an actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has received critics’ praise for his audio narrations that range from nonfiction, memoir, and fiction to mystery and suspense. He been seen on Broadway in The Buddy Holly Story, in national tours for Driving Miss Daisy and Big River, and on such television shows as Seinfeld, The West Wing, Will and Grace, Numb3rs,Titus, and Malcolm in the Middle. His films include Sea of Love, The Shadow, and the Oscar-nominated short Culture. He is a native New Yorker and Yale graduate.
Ozzie Rodriguez is a narrator, voice artist, and actor of film, television, and the stage, performing in many independent features, such as My Life: Untitled, Escape from South LA, and his co-produced, self-written project Elevator.
Ozzie Rodriguez is a narrator, voice artist, and actor of film, television, and the stage, performing in many independent features, such as My Life: Untitled, Escape from South LA, and his co-produced, self-written project Elevator.
Ozzie Rodriguez is a narrator, voice artist, and actor of film, television, and the stage, performing in many independent features, such as My Life: Untitled, Escape from South LA, and his co-produced, self-written project Elevator.