Hasta siempre Cuba, mi isla (Farewell Cuba, Mi Isla)

November 1, 2023
Fleeing Fidel Castro's Cuba in 1960, Victoria's family is sure they will be in Miami for only a few weeks -- a few months, max -- until the United States helps topple Castro's regime. Still, soon-to-be-thirteen-year-old Victoria is devastated to leave her home country and her "prima hermana," Jackie, behind. Diaz alternates focus between the cousins to describe this fraught moment in history. For Victoria, life in America is not easy, and she has to take on adult responsibilities to help feed her family. When communication with Cuba is almost completely cut, Jackie fears that Victoria has forgotten her. Jackie is eventually sent to live in Miami through Operation Peter Pan, and the girls struggle to deal with the challenges of their new reality -- which, it increasingly becomes clear, will be permanent -- as well as navigating the social landscape of junior high. Using personal interactions among Victoria, Jackie, and their new peers, Diaz does not shy away from addressing intertwined issues of the time period, including school integration, Cold War anti-Russian prejudice, and racial and gender dynamics within the family. The book's ending, if somewhat far-fetched, allows for a happy, hopeful reunion in Miami with Jackie's parents and baby brother and the girls' grandmother. An author's note and extensive Spanish glossary are appended. Spanish-language edition, Hasta siempre Cuba, mi isla, forthcoming (12/23). Monica de los Reyes

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