Margarita Engle

In free verse, evokes the voice of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, a book-loving writer, feminist, and abolitionist who courageously fought injustice in nineteenth-century Cuba. Includes historical notes, excerpts from her writings, biographical information, and source notes.

Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist

The Lightning Dreamer

Reyna Wren

Disappointing. The verse was awkward, sometimes breaking lines simply because it needed to look like poetry, even when it clearly wasn't. The prose was rough, lacking the lyricism the narrative demanded. The plot was disjointed, never fully exploring anything, then rushing off to new ideas, with random developments. The characters were unreal and wooden, with only the protagonist occasionally feeling human, and the rest with strange, strained voices. However, there were some nice images, and a few lovely passages. After reading, I would really like to read the work of the author on which this story is based.

The Lightning Dreamer Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist

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