Lion Island

August 8, 2016
Engle concludes what she describes as a "loosely linked group of historical verse novels about the struggle against forced labor in nineteenth-century Cuba," focusing on the formative teenage years of Antonio Chuffat, a real-life messenger boy of mixed Chinese, African, and Cuban descent who became a champion of civil rights. Living in war-torn 1870s Cuba alongside enslaved Africans and indentured Chinese workers shapes Antonio's path to the point where he and his friendsâtwins Wing and Fan, whose family fled anti-Asian riots in Los Angelesâbegin hiding Chinese fugitives, Ã la the Underground Railroad. Antonio also wishes they could free the enslaved Africans, while Wing longs to join the rebels' fight. Engle introduces readers to a little-discussed era of Cuban history through her concise verse and varied points of view, mainly those of Antonio, Wing, and Fan. This historical snapshot focuses less on the war than on its effects on Cuba's citizens as Engle's characters speak eloquently about gender inequality, racial injustice, and becoming a "warrior of words" through diplomatic and written means. Ages 10âup. Agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency.

May 15, 2016
This verse novel presents a fictionalized account of a real historical figure who used the power of words to help end forced labor in 19th-century Cuba.Antonio Chuffat is a free-born Chinese-African young man who comes of age in Cuba during a time of turmoil. Indentured laborers from China and African slaves are suffering dehumanizing injustice. Rebels have been fighting against Spanish rule for years. Thousands of Chinese-American refugees are migrating to Cuba, fleeing anti-Asian violence in California. Antonio's adolescence is spent working as a courier, delivering messages that travel between Spanish and Chinese businessmen, military leaders, and diplomats. Observing the violence and seeking a way to contribute to the battle for justice, he comes to realize that true power can be found in words, and so he helps to tell the stories of the powerless. Fictional twins Wing and Fan, Chinese-American refugees, also help tell the story. Over the course of seven years, these three main characters each find their own ways to contribute to the freedom efforts. As with Engle's related verse novels, this work looks directly at the brutality of slavery and war. It also tenderly exposes the rage and hope that can exist within the same heart.A fierce portrait of a young man's discovery of power through words. (historical background, historical note, references, further reading) (Historical verse/fiction. 11-16)

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Starred review from June 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-Engle transports readers to the world of 1870s Cuba, where Chinese indentured laborers struggle for freedom in a complex atmosphere of rebellion and injustice. The first narrator, Antonio Chuffat, acts as a messenger for Chinese diplomats trying to argue for better conditions. He meets Wing and Fan, refugees who escaped the anti-Chinese San Francisco riots for Cuba, and their perspectives add depth to the narrative. Antonio and Wing have a close but contentious relationship-as Antonio believes in the power of words and diplomacy and Wing increasingly leans toward violence. Engle's verse moves briskly; once readers begin, they'll want to keep turning pages. This little-known and fascinating historical moment prompts Engle's characters to consider privilege and equity from many different angles; while fighting for liberty for the Chinese, Antonio notices that no one is attempting to free the African side of his family, and Fan considers the way society limits her choices as a woman. Young readers will be able to draw analogies to present-day injustice and to consider the power that words can have to make lasting change. VERDICT A beautifully written, thought-provoking work from a highly regarded author and poet.-Gesse Stark-Smith, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

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