My Lost Cuba
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- $19.99
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
Dramatic history, lush scenery, and a colorful cast transport us to the time of Cuba's turning point - the late 1950s Set against the tropical landscape of Cuba's countryside and the glamour of 1950s Havana, this moving story of Cuban life at a pivotal time in the country's rich history will resonate with anyone who has experienced the loss of family or homeland. It is 1958, the last year of Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship. Mike, the son of Don Miguel, a wealthy land owner and rancher, is summoned home from his MBA studies in the United States because of his father's failing health. Still recovering from the loss of his wife, Mike's return is an immediate tonic for Don Miguel. Caught between his family obligations and his desire to pursue his own dreams, Mike quickly finds himself succumbing to his father's desire for him to take over the responsibilities of running the family ranch. As Mike settles back into the life he was groomed for, Don Miguel, reinvigorated, spends more and more time socializing in Havana. Changes are happening everywhere. The government is encroaching on civil liberties and social and political upheaval is in the air. There are rumblings about Castro's guerillas organizing in the mountains. On the ranch, long-time employees of Don Miguel resent the changes that Mike is making, setting the stage for a confrontation that change the lives of everyone involved. With evocative language, vibrant characters, and explosive history My Lost Cuba pull us into fascinating time and place-. It is a memorable family saga, love story and political tale.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gonzalez-Falla takes us back to the Cuba of the '50s near the end of Batista's reign in this middling period novel. Mike Rodriguez, studying for his MBA in the U.S., returns home to his family's ranch in Cuba after hearing that the health of his widower father, Don Miguel, seems to be deteriorating. He finds his university friend Paulino, who's hiding from Batista's men, taking care of Don Miguel, and realizes that his father isn't physically ill, just deeply dispirited. Change enters the three men's lives, seemingly for the better: Mike realizes how much he missed life on the ranch; Don Miguel starts dating a younger woman who works; Paulino begins writing again and gets some attention for his stories. In the meantime, Julio, Mike's brother, urges their father to modernize and invest in American business. Set against an exciting moment in history, the book promises a look into a country that is now exotic to most Americans, as well as an exploration of universal hopes, dreams, and family ties. Unfortunately, the flat prose and dialogue don't draw readers into the story, despite Gonzalez-Falla's undoubtedly personal investment in the material (he was exiled from Cuba in 1961).
