Happy Reading

Toni's bookshelf: read

The Godfather of Kathmandu (Sonchai Jitpleecheep, #4)
Ape House
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
Operation Napoleon
Walking Dead
The Sentimentalists
The Heretic Queen
The Midnight House
Cross Fire
Peony in Love
Absurdistan
Nefertiti
Finding Nouf: A Novel
City of Veils: A Novel
First Daughter
A Place of Hiding
Amagansett
Peter Pan


Toni Osborne's favorite books »
}

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

"Adios, Havana", by Andrew J. Rodriguez

A Mémoir

“Adios Havana” is a true account intended to remind us of the fragility of freedom. Cuba was an island paradise and Havana, its capital, a crown jewel internationally renowned till the Revolution. The aftermath brought powerful domestic and international repercussions. This mémoir paints the author’s struggle, along with his wife, to escape the communists at any cost.

The author opens his book by vividly describing life in Cuba before Castro. He doesn’t sugar coat his words when the revolution came and subsequently life in the country accelerate from zero to tyranny practically overnight. He touches some of the barbaric practices Castro’s goons did but this was a small part in the book what he mainly covered is his quest to escape to Florida and how he managed to do so. As a “Cuban exile” the Rodriguez did not think like most refugees that the new government would not last long and wanted to make the USA their permanent home and leave a legacy for the future generations. With a bit of help from sponsors and charitable organizations they started their new life and through the years became highly regarded US citizens.

Being a memoir one can only read what the author wishes to say after all it is his own souvenirs. It has some very touching moments.

“Adios Havana”, is also a love story of his unswerving love and devotion to his wife. He writes about how he met her, his courtship, his marriage, their escape and their arrival penniless and with little knowledge of English to a country that greeted them with open arms…

This is a real heart-warming story I enjoyed very much.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This is the Way I see it.

No comments: