I’m always a sucker for novels in verse. Ann E. Burg is one of my favorite authors who writes in this style.
Her book Serafina’s Promise is a middle grade story about life in Haiti and a girl who dreams of a better future than her community can offer her. It was a lovely book.
Here are three things I enjoyed most about it:
The simplicity. Burg is a master at taking a complicated story (like life in Haiti) and distilling it down to the barest parts that will have the most impact on readers. This book was a beautiful representation of what modern life in Haiti is like. It examines what it’s like not to be able to go to school even if you wanted to. My sons take their access to education for granted here in the states, and it was a good reminder for them that not everyone has the same opportunities they have.
The emotion. There was so much longing in this story. So much courage. So much sweetness. Emotion was wrapped up in every line of this story.
The hope. This is something I love about middle grade literature: even when it deals with hard things—like floods and makeshift homes and earthquakes and the inability to go to school because of poverty—it ends on a hopeful note. This book was no different. The character of Serafina was a fantastically drawn representation of an 11-year-old with a dream.
Serafina’s Promise is one of those books to be read and re-read and re-read again.
The above is an affiliate link. I only recommend books that I personally enjoy. I actually don’t even talk about the books I don’t enjoy, because I’d rather forget I ever wasted time reading them. But if you’re ever curious whether I’ve read a book and whether I liked or disliked it, don’t hesitate to ask.
