Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Lion Island
Lion Island: Cuba's Warrior of Words | Margarita Engle
23 posts | 11 read | 8 to read
In a haunting yet hopeful novel in verse, award-winning author Margarita Engle tells the story of Antonio Chuffat, a young man of African, Chinese, and Cuban descent who became a champion of civil rights. Asia, Africa, EuropeAntonio Chuffats ancestors clashed and blended on the beautiful island of Cuba. Yet for most Cubans in the nineteenth century, life is anything but beautiful. The country is fighting for freedom from Spain. Enslaved Africans and nearly-enslaved Chinese indentured servants are forced to work long, backbreaking hours in the fields. So Antonio feels lucky to have found a good job as a messenger, where his richly blended cultural background is an asset. Through his work he meets Wing, a young Chinese fruit seller who barely escaped the anti-Asian riots in San Francisco, and his sister Fan, a talented singer. With injustice all around them, the three friends are determined that violence will not be the only way to gain liberty.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Eggs
post image
Pickpick

HF Novel in verse with multiple POVs set in Cuba 🇨🇺 mid-1840s. This is the story of Antonio Chuffat, Cuba‘s warrior of words, a young man of African, Chinese, and Cuban descent who becomes a champion for civil rights. “Liberty is the beast that is never tamed; it breaks the chains that bind it with blood and fire, to reclaim its rights.”
ANTONIO CHUFFAT

#Pantone2023
#20in4 Readathon Day 2
#RushAThon Day 26

quote
marypeyton

I forgot to get a quote from this book before I put it down. However, I found this book to be extremely passionate and beautifully written even when talking about such tragedies.

blurb
marypeyton

This book contains a lot of power and meaning through all the stories told about real events.

review
marypeyton
Pickpick

Lion Island is a historical fiction book written by Margarita Engle. This book gives readers a lot of information on different cultures and on slavery. This book would be better for older children as it is an emotional book and has sensitive topics.

quote
Ariel8Smith
post image

“And writing, always writing, trying to change the world around me”

blurb
Ariel8Smith

Story about friendship that shows determination to keep fighting for liberty despite the violent times that surround them

review
Ariel8Smith
Pickpick

2016, historical fiction. Story about Antonio‘s life in Cuba when they are fighting for freedom from Spain. Antonio is lucky to receive a job as a messenger instead as a slave or serving. He meets a young Chinese fruit seller and his sister who barely escaped riots in San Francisco.

quote
lauren_rese
post image

blurb
lauren_rese

A short, simple read that would be great when learning about culture and diversity.

review
lauren_rese
Pickpick

This book covers the aspects of Cuban culture during the time of rivalry and the fight for freedom. This books shows young adults wanting civil rights and liberty. A good book to read when learning about race riots and what happened in LA, California. Genre: Historical Fiction; Published: 2016; Illustrator: Sean Qualls

quote
Madimccrady22

“No one in that nation ever pays for any crime against people who look different”

blurb
Madimccrady22

This seems like a very interesting book to read. Some students might find it interesting especially since some will have many different descents.

review
Madimccrady22
Mehso-so

The lion island by Margarita Engle is a historical fiction book that was published in 2017. This story is about a young man named Antonio Chuffat. He has a African, Chinese and Cuban descent. He is trying to become a civil rights activist. Antonio gets a lucky job as a messenger and meets his friend Wing. With injustice around Antonio him and his friends are determined to show that violence is not the only way to liberty.

review
GatheringBooks
post image
Pickpick

#ReadingResolutions Day 21: This novel-in-verse breaks barriers through Fierce, #Brave Words. Margarita once more brings to life a little-known historical figure in Chinese-African-Cuban Antonio Chuffat who was initially shown to be a 12 year old boy who eventually grew into his own armed with words and filled with the conviction of the power of narratives. Took photos of the pages and edited using an app. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-c7z

blurb
Peddler410
post image
22 likes2 stack adds
review
BookInMyHands
post image
Pickpick

Based on the young life of poet and activist Antonio Chuffat, this novel in verse explores life in Cuba from the perspectives of immigrants, slaves, and indentured servants from 1871-1878.

I hadn't known that more than 250,000 Chinese men were sent to Cuba & Peru for indentured servitude, and more Chinese-Americans came to Cuba from the US to escape the California riots and lynchings.

Fascinating story!

#notawhiteprotagonist
#setonanisland

Laura317 I never knew this! Adding to my stack. 7y
37 likes5 stack adds1 comment
quote
caitlinalrogers
post image

Cuba's Warrior of Words indeed ✅

review
tjwill
post image
Pickpick

Beautiful, lyrical verse tells the story of Antonio Chuffat, a Cuban with Chinese, African, and Spanish ancestry who gave a voice to Cuban slaves and indentured servants in the 1800s. What an inspiring story!

blurb
tjwill
post image

I love bookmarks, and this #WeNeedDiverseBooks bookmark is one of my favorites. #booktober

RealLifeReading I want that!! 7y
26 likes1 comment
review
LindsayReads
post image
Pickpick

Say it isn't so!! Engle says in her Historical Note that this concludes her FABULOUS quasi-series of Cuban #historicalfiction novels-in-#verse. So sad to see the end, but In Margarita We Trust. I know she'll continue to provide us with more of her beautiful and insightful writing.

blurb
LindsayReads
post image

What's your library haul for the weekend? Can I peek? #tgifribrary

quote
GatheringBooks
post image

from Margarita Engle's Lion Island - to be released in August this year. Full review up at GatheringBooks.org for Poetry Friday today.

5 likes1 stack add