I picked up Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings, by Margarita Engle, because I’m obsessed with poetry. This was a middle grade memoir written in poetry, and it was a wonderful offering to the literature world.
In her memoir, Engle detailed what it was like growing up as a child who lived in two cultures during the Cold War: the Cuban world and the American world.
My favorite thing about this book, of course, was that it was written in poetry. The poems were carefully crafted and carried a subtle message of history, freedom, acceptance, and love.
Here are three other things I enjoyed about the book:
- The story. We don’t hear much about the Cold War, and it was interesting to read something about a woman who was half Cuban and half American and how that affected her time in America. Engle included an author’s note at the end of the book that explained even more about her experiences.
- The speedy read. I love books in poetry, because they take so little time to read. This book is perfect for those reluctant readers who aren’t quite ready for a full page of text. But saying it was a short read isn’t saying it wasn’t filled to the brim with vital information and beautiful sentiments. Engle used her words well.
- The wondering voice of childhood. This was definitely a middle grade memoir written in an appropriate way for a child (I’ve read several that aren’t). It was lyrical and hopeful and contained all the wonder and optimism a child has.
Enchanted Air is one of those books that should go on every child’s reading list and, ideally, the whole family’s reading list.
The book mentioned above has an affiliate link attached to it, which means I’ll get a small kick-back if you click on it and purchase. But I only recommend books I enjoy reading myself. Actually, I don’t even talk about books I didn’t enjoy. I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. (But if you’re curious whether I’ve read something and what I thought about it, don’t hesitate to ask.)
