Tropical Secrets ─ Holocaust Refugees in Cuba

Turned away from the shores of New York, a young Jewish boy seeks refuge in Cuba during WWII. Here in this tropical sanctuary, so far away from Germany, will he be safe from Nazi influence?

A stunning new novel in verse from Margarita Engle, the Pura Belpré Award–winning author of The Poet Slave of Cuba

Daniel has escaped Nazi Germany with nothing but a desperate dream that he might one day find his parents again. But that golden land called New York has turned away his ship full of refugees, and Daniel finds himself in Cuba instead.

As the tropical island begins to work its magic on him, the young refugee befriends a local girl with some painful secrets of her own. Yet even in Cuba, the Nazi darkness is never far away . . .

While Daniel is a fictional character, Tropical Secrets is based on real events in history.

“Readers who think they might not like a novel in verse will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly and smoothly the story flows . . . The book will provide great fodder for discussion of the Holocaust, self-reliance, ethnic and religious bias, and more.” —VOYA

“This book is an outstanding choice for young people of all reading skills. Reluctant readers will be encouraged by the open layout and brief text, and everyone will be captivated by the eloquent poems and compelling characters.” —School Library Journal, starred review

Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She is the author of young adult nonfiction books and novels in verse including The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor Book, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Hurricane Dancers, and The Firefly Letters. She lives in northern California.