"I find it so easy to forget / that I'm just a girl who is expected / to
live / without thoughts."
Opposing slavery in Cuba in the nineteenth century was dangerous. The
most daring abolitionists were poets who veiled their work in metaphor.
Of these, the boldest was Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula.
In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the voice of
this book-loving feminist and abolitionist who bravely resisted an
arranged marriage at the age of fourteen, and was ultimately courageous
enough to fight against injustice. Historical notes, excerpts, and
source notes round out this exceptional tribute.