THE WILD BOOK

1.  Bibliography

Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Wild Book. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 9780547581316

2.  Plot Summary

The Wild Book is the story of a young girl Fefa who has been diagnosed with “word blindness” and whose struggle to read becomes a journey of triumph both personally and for her family.  Fefa’s mother rejects the doctor’s conclusion that her daughter will never read and begins to encourage Fefa with kind words about patience, saying that “seeds of learning grow slowly.”  She also gives her daughter a book of blank pages on which Fefa is to write, a wild diary of her growing words.  The daughter follows her mama’s instruction and proceeds to slowly but surely fill the clean, white pages of her wild book with words and details of her life.  Fefa’s reading and writing skills grow and ultimately save her and her family from harm’s way. 

3. Critical Analysis

The setting is the Cuban countryside, 1912, a time of chaos, lawlessness, and terror.  Margarita Engle has taken pages from her maternal grandmother’s story and from its inspiration created a rich fictional story written in poetic verse of a girl whose reading challenges were overcome through patience, practice, and a mother’s love.  Though words came slowly for Fefa, Engle masterfully uses them to invite the reader to experience the struggle, ridicule, and shame felt by children who have dyslexia.  “Never Give Up” is the anthem of one verse, but throughout the book a variety of emotion that connects deeply with the reader is expressed as Fefa experiences fear, heartbreak, hope, loss, and ultimately victory over a feared enemy.  The imagery of  the "Word Hunger" verse is beautiful and enticing, as Fefa says, "When I consider the happy possibility that maybe someday I will feel smart, I grow a little bit hungry for small, tasty bites of easy words."   The courage displayed in the young heroine’s story is a character trait that all children, regardless of their reading ability, will wish to attain.  The Wild Book is a beautiful opportunity to open up conversations about the different struggles children face and how simple, daily acts of courage can bring about great triumphs.  Not to be missed, Fefa’s mother’s role in her triumph over her learning disability is a quiet reminder of the role that adults can play in the success of the children they influence.  Her gentle encouragement and the tool she used to help her daughter begin her journey is a voice of wisdom for adults. 

4.  Review Excerpts

 "The author gives readers a portrait of a tumultuous period in Cuban history and skillfully integrates island flora, fauna and mythology into Fefa’s first-person tale. This canvas heightens Fefa’s determination to rise above the expectations of her siblings, peers and society.  A beautiful tale of perseverance.." --Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“Whatever the motivation of the reader, after completing The Wild Book, they will be enchanted by the beautiful words, words with which Fefa struggled, but ultimately, with whom she became dearest friends.” –Voya Review

5.  Connections

*Read other books that offer a glimpse into Central or South America:  Martin de Porres: The Rose in the Desert by Gary D. Schmidt.

*Also by Margarita Engle, The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano, would be a good companion book to read.