By Margarita Engle, Art by Sean Qualls p. 183 – Grades 7-12 – biography
Trapped as a slave in a wealthy home in Cuba, Juan Francisco Manzano lived his life in fear of the cruel punishments of his masters. This sad and harrowing story was uncovered because the young slave, Manzano, wrote vivid poetry that describes his time as a slave. In Cuba poetry is like television; many people perform poetry for others and stories are often carried across the country because people repeat the poems they have heard. It is for this reason that the author, Margarita Engle, was inspired to write this biography in verse, paying tribute to Manzano's work. While enslaved Manzano could not stop creating poems in his head; sometimes his owners praised him for his creativity and other times he was severely punished. The poems were part of Manzano and came to him as naturally as breathing; no punishment, no matter how harsh, could stop him from being himself.
Connections: For other serious stories in verse try Aleutian Sparrow or Out of the Dust, both by Karen Hesse. For stories about people escaping oppression try 5,000 Miles to Freedom: Ellen and William Craft's Flight From Slavery, by Judith Bloom Fradin and Dennis Brindell Fradin, or The Year of Impossible Goodbyes, by Sook Nyul Choi.
By Margarita Engle, 151 pages Grades 6 Up
