Product Description: HAVANA...lilting rumbas, aromatic coffee, sultry sea breezes. Sparkling white beaches by day, scintillating nightclubs after dark. This sophisticated, international capital was the crown jewel of an island paradise--until the idealism that fed the Cuban Revolution yielded a nightmare of soul-crushing dictatorship.
ADIOS HAVANA is a true account of romance and peril, adventure and patriotism. Fueled by love--love of family, of country, and of each other--a young couple must face the most wrenching of choices: remain in the country they cherish, lose the wealth and position their families strove for generations to attain, and watch their children grow up impoverished under a terrifying regime; or risk escaping with no money or possessions and leave behind everything they have ever known to begin a new life in a strange land.
Andrew Rodriguez's memoir paints his struggle, along with his young bride, to escape the communist betrayal at any cost. "Adios Havana" is a stirring energetic portrait of 1950s Cuba--its joys, its wonders, and its griefs--through the eyes of two teenagers who lived it. His story of the tragedy that is Cuba is both informed and enriched by his present perspective as a prosperous, self-made businessman and grandfather, grateful for the opportunities extended to him when he arrived virtually destitute on American soil.
A legacy to future generations, this memoir is intended to remind readers of the fragility of freedom...to describe the disintegration of a properous civilized society and offer counsel on how to prevent a similar catastrophe from happening in America...and to show how and why penniless refugees flourish in the land of the free--why anyone who resists oppression would be driven to tell his beloved homeland, Adios!
Not literature This book was recommended based on my Amazon reading and buying habits. Not sure why, though. It appears to be a self-published book...nice for the author's relatives or for people who fled Cuba. As literature, though, it just doesn't stack up. I'm disappointed that it was recommended via Amazon and will be more skeptical of those recommendations in the future.
Very Familiar This book is a joy. Mr. Rodriguez' voice is loud and clear Cuban. In this book I reheard my mother's story. Thank You!!
An Inside look at Cuba Before he and his wife flee Communist Cuba in the 60's for American freedom, the author paints vivid pictures of his beloved land and lifestye before and at the beginning of Castro's dictatorship. Arriving in Miami, FL, they're eventually "adopted" by a Colorado church where they relocate to find housing and jobs. Because of their skills and eagerness to work hard, they become contributors to American society and earn US citizenship. While the US is not perfect, this book helps me appreciate our various freedoms, and God's love expressed through good people. I recommend this book to those who take our democracy for granted.
The Birth to Five Book: Confident Childrearing Right from the Start
A clear voice emerging At a time when the Latin immigration experience is on everyone's mind and newspaper page, Andrew Rodriguez tells the story of his flight from Cuba in a clear, undecorated voice that rings true to the story. Immigrants come to America for many reasons, and Rodriguez tells a very personal story that might serve to educate a lot of people about why America is such a beacon.
Interested in Cuba and its people? . . . read this book. Adios, Havana Andrew J. Rodriguez Outskirts Press 10940 S. Parker Rd - 515, Denver, CO USA www.outskirtspress.com ISBN: 1598000489, $14.95, 262 pp. 2005
I specialize in reviewing Print-On-Demand (POD) published books, primarily because many reviewers in the "traditional book reviewing community" are not interested in them-regardless of how well-written or engaging. There is a strong resistance within this community, and a POD author would be fortunate, indeed, to receive any acknowledgment to his/her query-they simply ignore you. This, I'm certain, will change in time . . . helped along by quality, well-written, and touching memoirs such as this one.
I quote from the back cover: "Adios, Havana is a true account of romance and peril, adventure and patriotism. Fueled by love-love of family, of country, and of each other-a young couple must face the most wrenching of choices: remain in the country they cherish, lose the wealth and position their families strove for generations to attain, and watch their children grow up impoverished under a terrifying regime; or risk escaping with no money or possessions and leave behind all they have ever know to begin a new life in a strange land.
A legacy to future generations, this memoir is intended to remind readers of the fragility of freedom . . . to describe the disintegration of a prosperous civilized society and offer counsel on how to prevent a similar catastrophe from happening in America . . . and to show how and why penniless refugees flourish in the land of the free-why anyone who resists oppression would be driven to tell his beloved homeland, Adios." I could not have said it better.
The extraordinary beauty of Cuba and the Cuban culture, prior to Castro, come to life through this book, as do the difficult decisions these successful families had to make and the realities of being Cuban refugees in Little Havana, USA. The generosity of the American people to help . . . also comes to life. Andy and Margarita's beautiful love story weaves its way through history and binds it all together.
This book is well-written, well-edited, compelling and sensitive. The author has an educated vocabulary, uses unique similes and metaphors, and is so kind as to translate the Spanish phrases he uses throughout. In addition to this memoir, Andrew J. Rodriquez has authored The Teleportation of an American Teenager.
Reviewer: Kaye Trout of Kaye Trout Book Reviews - Copyright 2006
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