The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the main character, a child, is repeatedly and persistently beaten, whipped, and tortured. The level of violence and brutality in this book make it inappropriate for children below middle school, and deeply disturbing to readers of any age.
Families can talk about the nature of genius. Why did Juan persist in reading and writing when it invariably brought him beatings? How did his abilities sustain him? Young readers may want to know more about Juan Francisco Manzano. See below for a Web site containing his poetry and autobiography. They may also be interested in finding out about other slave poets, such as George Moses Horton, Jupiter Hammon, and Phyllis Wheatley.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Matt Berman
Writing a book about the more horrifying topics in human history, such as slavery, is always problematic. The writer must decide where to draw the line between giving a realistic depiction and protecting child readers from descriptions that are too graphic. The publisher recommends this book for ages 10 and up. By that standard, this book gets lost on the far side of the line; Though not wallowing in gore, there's simply too much horrifying brutality for the lower end of that age range, violence made even worse by being perpetrated on a child, and by being true.
For teens, this is a serviceable introduction to an all-but-forgotten literary and historical figure, and its tale of survival and defiance has moments of uplift, but it has its flaws. The use of poetry to tell the story means that some elements (such as how Juan ends up with the Marquesa after being granted his freedom) are unclear. Authors of similar works (see Your Own, Sylvia by Stephanie Hemphill, for example) solve that problem by the use of footnotes and/or endnotes. No such luck here -- the Historical Note only picks up after the story ends. Also, Manzano lived in Cuba in the early 1800s, and it's likely that most young readers will know little about that society -- it would have been useful if the Note had given some context.
From The Book
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
Plot Summary:
The first part of the life of Juan Francisco Manzano, until his escape from slavery, is told in a series of poems, from a variety of viewpoints and voices. A child prodigy, with perfect recall and amazing talent in poetry, he is treated as a performing pet by his first mistress. But when she dies, his insane new mistress abuses and tortures him horribly until he finally escapes. Includes brief bibliography, Historical Note, and four excerpts of Manzano's poetry.
Related Books:
Other Books by Margarita Engle:
The Surrender Tree
More Books About Slavery:
Ajeemah and his Son by James Berry
Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln and Christopher Collier
The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
Melitte by Fatima Shaik
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
The Pox Party by M. T. Anderson
Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford
Nightjohn by Gary Paulsen
Related Web sites:
Juan Francisco Manzano's writings
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