11
12
GEOGRAPHY
heard, and talked my father into what she believed was an
improvement, a combination of Mauran and her own mother’s name,
Felicia.
“Her name is Mao-ree-shee-ah,” my mother said to the group of
women.
“Why, that’s a beautiful name,” the other mothers cried.
“Moor-ee-sha, Moor-ee-sha,” she cooed into the pink blanket.
Moor-ee-sha it was when we returned to the States eleven years
later. Sometimes, american tongues found that mispronunciation
tough to say and called her Maria or Marsha or Maudy from her
nickname Maury. I pitied her. What an awful name to have to
transport across borders!
CONNECTION
The Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic
occupies two thirds of the
island of Hispaniola, which
is part of the Greater
Antilles chain in the
Caribbean Sea. Haiti
occupies the remaining third
of the island. The Atlantic
Ocean is to the north, and
the Caribbean Sea is to the
south; the island of Puerto
Rico is to the east, and Cuba
is to the west. The capital
city of the Dominican
Republic is Santo Domingo.
It is a mountainous country,
with many rivers and fertile land. The climate is tropical, with a rainy season from May to November.
Christopher Columbus landed on Hispaniola in 1492 and founded the first European settlement in
America there. Why might it be difficult for Julia to adapt to her new environment?
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UNIT 3 NONFICTION CONNECTIONS