Structure

This book of poems is structured in a linear timeline beginning when Engle’s parents first met in Cuba and moving forward until Engle is 14. This is a significant point in her life because it is during the trip that her family takes to Europe that she realizes she can look forward to a beautiful future even if she is not able to live in Cuba, as she once planned. The poems are autobiographical and include references to historical events, like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the assassination of President Kennedy.

The first section of the book describes the meeting of Engle’s parents. It is written in prose. This portion of the book is also written in the past tense. Both the use of prose and use of past tense indicate that Engle is writing about events that she is familiar with only through here-say. Her...