Monday, November 28, 2011

Engle, Margarita. Hurricane Dancers.


Engle, Margarita.  Hurricane Dancers. 
Henry Holt/macmillan children's pub group 2011  145p  16.99 978-0-8050-9240-0 
ms/jr          Historical        E-BN 

Based on a true story this fictionalized version of the incident tells the poetic story of
the Indian, the hostage and the pirate. They were shipwrecked on one of the
Islands of the Caribbean, with their destinies intertwine. The account of
the first shipwreck in the Americas in the 1500.  Quebrado  is a child of the
Americas, half islander, half outsider - most likely Spaniard. He has been
traded from pirate ship to ships in the Caribbean sea for as long as he can
remember.  He has forgotten was freedom is like as he serves in the latest ship
manned by Bernardino de Talavera was the first Caribbean pirate who was
shipwrecked with a hostage on board. A man who was cruel to all his slaves on
his plantation, working them to death but never able to rise above the debt to
become a rich man. Finally giving up and stealing a ship with a motley crew of
misfits. He take hostage the Alonso de Ojeda, The cruel Governor of Venezuela,
who ruled with an iron hand with many deaths along his road to success.
 The destiny of these three men come together in a shipwreck that leaves only
three survivors. Quebrado finds himself finally free. He is found by the natives
living on the island and is taken in and treated very kindly. Just as he settles
into a peaceful life the other two survivors appear in ragged clothes and with
demands. Now that Quebrado has found freedom he must decide how to deal with
these two men who do not understand the meaning of kindness, consideration or
respect.

Very poetically told story of a historical incident.        Diaz, Magna

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