Lion Island: Cuba's Warrior of Words [Paperback]

In this “beautifully written, thought provoking” (School Library Journal, starred review) novel in verse, award-winning author Margarita Engle tells the story of Antonio Chuffat, a young man of African, Chinese, and Cuban descent who becomes a champion for civil rights.

Asia, Africa, Europe—Antonio Chuffat’s 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 near-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 to prove that violence is not the only way to gain liberty.Lion IslandRunning with Words
ANTONIO CHUFFAT

Age 12

Year of the Goat

1871 [Lion Island] 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. * “A beautifully written, thought-provoking work from a highly regarded author and poet.”“Once again, Engle weaves fact and fiction to create a lyrical tale. Like Antonio, readers will discover the power of words and the importance of documenting stories.”“This poetic glimpse into Cuba’s troubled past shines a light on an important human-rights activist and will pique readers’ curiosity about Cuba’s complicated history.”“An engaging historical novel written in verse [that] touches upon manl³+