The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba by Margarita Engle

1.     Bibliography

Engle, Margarita. The firefly letters: a suffragette’s journey to cuba. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2010.
ISBN: 978-1250110961

2.     Plot Summary


This novel in verse recounts the true to life tale of Frederika Bremer and her visit to Cuba. While visiting, she meets a slave girl named Cecilia. Engle shares this insightful story from the perspective of three female characters; Frederika, Cecilia, and Elena.

3.     Critical Analysis

The Firefly Letters is a novel in free verse written from the perspective of the three female characters. Margarita Engle gives the reader an inside look into Cuba, and she artfully shares the story of the slave girl Cecilia. Engle keeps her stanzas and rhythm of her poetry short, and this helps convey the brutal raw nature of life as a slave Cuba. In the first page of the story, the reader shockingly finds out that Cecilia the African girl living as a slave in Cuba was sold by her father “for a stolen cow.” Engle cleverly incorporates Frederika the feminist visitor from Sweden into the lives of Cecilia and Elena (the 12-year-old daughter of Cecilia's owner). The reader directly associates with Frederika as she becomes accustomed to and acclimates to life on the beautiful and sad island of Cuba. Engle’s poetry does not contain rhyme as it’s written in free verse but incorporates rich and vivid language to convey her overall message and story. Here, Engle describes Frederika’s visit to Cuba, which is “...an island of eternal summer like an outer court of paradise where she has inhaled new life." Through her use of imagery and figurative language, Engle does a mighty job of juxtaposing balmy tropical Cuba with the unjust horrors of the slaves owned by many wealthy Cubans.

The theme of fireflies and moonlight repeat throughout the novel. The reader can surmise that perhaps these symbols embody the overall message of the story. At the beginning of the novel, Cecilia shares that Cubans fear the moonlight and cover their heads to protect themselves from the damaging moon beams. As the story unfolds, Frederika the trailblazing feminist leaves her mark upon the island people, and she does not fear the moonlight but embraces it. At the end of the story, Elena too embraces the soft light of the moon on her skin. The reader observes that change can come into our lives gradually (or sometimes all at once) but eventually it will be accepted. Engle's poetry is effortless, she tells a story using a series of poems, but the reading doesn't feel like poetry in a sense. Engle transports the reader to the time and place of Cecilia, Frederika, and Elena. The reader experiences what they experience and understands what they understand. The Firefly Letters is a beautifully written and powerful tale about change and progress.

4.     Review Excerpts

From GoodReads: “In this quietly powerful new book, award-winning poet Margarita Engle paints a portrait of early women's rights pioneer Fredrika Bremer and the journey to Cuba that transformed her life.”
From Kirkus Review:  “And like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.”
From Publishers Weekly: “This slim, elegant volume opens the door to discussions of slavery, women's rights, and the economic disparity between rich and poor.”

5.     Connections
More from Margarita Engle about Cuba
The Lightning Dreamer
By Margarita Engle
ISBN: 978-0544541122
The Surrender Tree
By Margarita Engle
ISBN: 978-0312608712
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano
By Margarita Engle and Illustrated by Sean Qualls
ISBN: 978-0312659288
This novel in verse would make a wonderful addition to a lesson during Hispanic Heritage Month.

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