The Firefly
Letters
By Margarita
Engle
Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Firefly Letters. NY, NY: Henry
Holt and Company. ISBN: 978-0-8050-9082-6
PLOT SUMMARY:
This is the story of three women who come together based on
circumstance. Fredrika is a Swedish
guest in the house of Elena’s father.
Elena is the daughter of a wealthy man.
Cecilia is a young slave girl. The three women become close friends and
begin to explore the countryside together.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
The story of these three women evokes a sad feeling because
they are trapped in their circumstances.
One woman is a slave and another is trapped in her father’s house not
allowed to go out anywhere. The author
shows the feelings of Elena through the words used. Elena feels like one of the fireflies that
the children trapped and tore off its wings and placed it in a jar to live out
its last days.
Each chapter is written in a character’s voice. The author changes the tone of the story
based on the character. The writing is
descriptive and has a lot of feeling in it.
This story is for a little bit of and older age group because it addresses
issues such as slavery and coming of age.
CONNECTIONS:
This story could be used to coincide with lessons on slavery
in school. The children can be assigned
roles in the story and read it aloud in class like a play. The chapters are short and concise.
Return to Sender
By Julia Alvarez
Esperanza Rising
By Pam Munoz Ryan
REVIEW:
“Like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a
gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters
who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the
novel in verse.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
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