Serafina's Promise
In her latest work, Serafina’s Promise, Anne E. Berg (author
of ALA Best Book for Young Adults and 2010 Jefferson award winner All The Broken Pieces) has masterfully created
a stunning and lyrical depiction of both the hardship and hope within the heart
of one Latin American girl and her impoverished family. Written entirely in
poetic verse, this work is a quick read that leaves a lasting impression.
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Serafina, a young girl in
the midst of seemingly insurmountable circumstance, strives to defy her societal
restrictions and become a doctor. In order to do so, she finds she must
discover a way to attend a school because her family can’t afford it. Finally
she finds the courage to assert herself, informing her father that she has
promises to keep: a promise to a late grandfather who emphatically dubbed
education the road to freedom, and to a late little brother whom had needed a
doctor like the one she hoped to become. With the dream of a crisp school
uniform constantly on her mind, Serafina works tirelessly to ensure the health
of her household and to save enough money to attend school in the fall. With
the impending arrival of a new baby brother, Serafina finds a new source of
motivation, quickly achieving what her mother initially dubbed impossible. However,
when disaster strikes, Serafina must learn to take hardship in stride and to
fight for something that so many take for granted, the opportunity to gain an
education.
This story is enriched
indefinitely by Berg’s poetic writing style and its distinctly poetic
structure. Each concise verse is loaded both with unflagging hope and with
insightful wisdom in the face of adversity, creating an impactful emphasis on
vast and important ideas in few words. A narrative abound with hope, and still strikingly
realistic, this book has been expertly crafted in such a manner that I believe
it may truly hold the power to offer an enduring impact on young readers.
Addressing such issues as
lack of education and opportunity alongside devastating and uncontrollable
natural disasters, Berg writes genuinely in the innocent voice of Serafina, and
just as deftly in the sagacious riddles of her elders. Simple enough for its
target audience (10-14) but still complex and filled with wisdom, Serafina’s Promise is of the rare breed
that can transcend age and touch all.
By: Ellie Mitchell
