The Firefly Letters: A Suffragette's Journey to Cuba
Meet Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish suffragette who traveled the world and visited Cuba in 1851. Where other visitors might have been most interested in basking in the luxury of plantation owners, Fredrika sets out to learn about the slaves, free blacks, and poor whites, documenting her experiences in letters and diaries. Margarita Engle has transformed those writings into an intriguing novel written in verse with special attention paid to Cecilia, Fredika's bright young translator, as well as the overlapping struggles to end slavery and expand women's rights. Pura Belpré Honor Award.
Language: Spanish vocabulary featured
Culture/Community: Cuban / Cuban American
Heritage & History: African American Heritage and History, Caribbean Heritage and History, Hispanic Heritage and History
Book Awards: Américas Award & Honor Books, Pura Belpré Award & Honor Books
Themes for Middle Grade/YA: Strong Girls and Women, Big Responsibilities, Bicultural Kids, Coming of Age, Family and Friends, Identity, Race, Racism, and Prejudice, U.S. History
Genre: Historical Fiction, Poetry
Format: Novel in Verse
Audiobook: No
Age Level: Middle Grade
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
9780805090826