The Firefly Letters is a collection of poems written by Engle that vacillate between Fredrika, Elena, and Cecilia; at first, I was apprehensive of the slim book, but quickly I was drawn into the simply written but very compelling poetry.
Fredrika sets off for Cuba in a fit of wanderlust, throwing off the chains of expectations placed on women during that time and spending her days writing and sketching. Her main concerns are women’s rights, and while she is amazed at the beauty of Cuba, she is appalled at the conditions of slavery and women’s rights in the supposed paradise. Even the daughter of her rich host, Elena, is subject to strict regulations, as Elena is set to marry a man chosen by her parents.
Cecilia is the house slave, valuable thanks to her translation skills; she is pregnant and married at the age of fifteen to a man she calls a stranger. The three women find ties that bind them together as they explore the island with Fredrika, and both Elena and Cecilia find inner strength they never knew they possessed. Fireflies become a metaphor for the plight of the women, as the lovely and delicate creatures are constantly captured and even de-winged by Cuban natives; the ladies take it upon themselves to go nightly to free the fireflies.
A lovely work, with many springboards for historical research into Cuban history, women’s suffrage, and language arts, The Firefly Letters is definitely worth reading, either in one sitting or in small bites.
Reading excerpt: http://amcabu.podbean.com/2011/01/22/the-firefly-letters/
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