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by Talek Nantes (Author)
A collection of memories about the Cuban exile experience of the mid-20th century. These narratives are a testament to the courage, perseverance, and determination of people whose lives were upended quickly, dramatically, and irrevocably by a revolution.
This book is for anyone interested in stories of courage and the pursuit of freedom. These anonymized experiences tell of the sometimes-improbable circumstances that led a generation to leave their homeland and everything they knew to come to a foreign country and start their lives again from scratch.
The memories have been collected from anecdotes passed down over generations, interviews, and personal recollections. Many of the stories are in the speaker's own words, which sometimes revert to Spanish, and these are accompanied by English-language translations. Each story is told by a different exile sharing his or her own memory.
The main thread that runs through the book is the chaos and confusion of the communist takeover in Cuba and the subsequent exodus of a significant portion of the island's population. Also covered are the struggles and sacrifices the exiles made during the early years of arrival in their new countries as well as sometimes humorous recollections of cultural clashes while attempting to adapt.
Lastly, this book is a declaration of unabashed appreciation to the United States, the country that gave so many the opportunity to pursue their destinies in peace and freedom.
