Last year, in Berlin on the Night of Crystal my grandfather was killed while I held his hand. Daniel has escaped Nazi Germany with nothing but a desperate dream that he might one day find his parents again. But that golden land called New York has turned away the ship full of refugees, and Daniel finds himself in Cuba. As the tropical island begins to work its magic on him, the young refugee befriends a local girl with some painful secrets of her own. Yet even in Cuba, the Nazi darkness is never far away. . . . At once deeply personal and utterly universal, Tropical Secrets is a stunning new history in verse from award-winning poet Margarita Engle.
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" EXCELLENT! Favorite quotes from this book: p. 108 "creating an entirely new sort of music, the sound of a future dancing with the past." p. 99 "I was taught that questions are just as important as answers." " — Jacqueline (5 out of 5 stars)
" EXCELLENT! Favorite quotes from this book: p. 108 "creating an entirely new sort of music, the sound of a future dancing with the past." p. 99 "I was taught that questions are just as important as answers." "
" Very interesting story line - but I wanted more. I never knew the role Cuba played in taking in holocaust refugees - many other intersting historical tidbits but overall the free verse style left me wanting more plot details and character development. "
" Nice. Pair with NF title "Denied Detained Deported" which has a section that deals with boats of refugees being denied at the US border then heading to Cuba. "
" Simple verses tell the story of Daniel's escape from Nazi Germany to Cuba. In a few words a great deal of history is conveyed. I knew nothing about the Jewish and Christian refugees in Cuba and their treatment during WW II before reading Tropical Secrets. "
" I don't usually like books in verse, but I found this one dream-like and kinda mesmerizing. Also learned more about a pretty interesting chapter in history. "
" Paloma and Daniel tell this story of hope and dispair in verse. A history lesson beginning in 1939. Would recommend to kids or adults interested in this time period. "
" I read this mostly out of curiosity, because my grandparents arrived in the United States via Cuba during WWII. In fact, that was where they got married. But this book didn't excite me, even if it was well done. "
" Engle shares another episode of Cuban history that will be unfamiliar to most American readers -- the experience of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany who found safe haven there, as well as the many who were turned away. "
" While I didn't love this as much as The Surrender Tree, it's very good, and accessible for a younger audience than that one. "
" This was a story in lyrical verse. A lovely telling of a horrible chapter in history: Jewish refugees arriving in Cuba to escape the Nazis. "
" Skips around too much, otherwise interesting topic. "
" Daniel has arrived on Cuba with a boat full of other Jews seeking refuge from the Nazis. Told in verse, the book does provide a beautiful sensory experience that I may never visit in my lifetime. I just wish the chacters voices had been more distinct. It was okay. "
" NinV. An interesting view of the Holocaust. I didn't know about the Cuba connection. This would be a good book for those interested in Holocaust fiction. "
" This is a beautiful novel in verse with a most unfortunate cover that will not attract young readers. "
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.
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.
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