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Anacaona, Golden Flower. By Edwidge Danticat. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2005. ISBN 0-439-49906-2.181 pp. $10.95 cloth.
Anacaona, Golden Flower, a new addition to the "The Royal Diaries" series for adolescent girls, stands apart from the other well-told tales of European princesses (Elizabeth I, Marie-Antoinette, Isabella, Victoria, Mary Queen of Scots, Anastasia) whose distinguished names and "accomplishments" have been idolized for centuries by historians, politicians and, of course, young girls everywhere. Like other young women of non-Western tradition included in the series, Anacaona's story remains a mystery to most; what little we do know about the warrior queen, her breathless daring and devotion to her people during pre-colonial time, acts as a pillar of hope for the island of Hispaniola. The contemporary nation of Haiti, hailed as the first Black republic to successfully abolish slavery and the only country to have defeated the French, Spanish and British military, might indeed rise again, and by reaching into the past to draw hope for the future, Edwidge Danticat has instilled a spark of hope for a rebirth and a renaissance of Haiti-a renaissance that does not quite seem outside the realm of possibility when one believes that history might repeat itself.
As with other books in "The Royal Diaries" series, Anacaona, Golden Flower presents the reader with a time portal through which to jump with the use of vivid imagery and ample historical background, thereby allowing the audience to establish an immediate...