Release: September 21, 2021
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Amazon
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo
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By the author of 2021 Pura Belpré Honor Book The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez, a sweeping, emotional middle grade historical novel about a twelve-year-old boy who leaves his family in Cuba to immigrate to the U.S. by himself, based on the author’s family history.
“I don’t remember. Tell me everything, Pepito. Tell me about Cuba.”
When the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961 solidifies Castro’s power in Cuba, twelve-year-old Cumba’s family makes the difficult decision to send him to Florida alone. Faced with the prospect of living in another country by himself, Cumba tries to remember the sound of his father’s clarinet, the smell of his mother’s lavender perfume.
Also, life in the United States presents a whole new set of challenges. Lost in a sea of English speakers, Cumba has to navigate a new city, a new school, and new freedom all on his own. With each day, Cumba feels more confident in his new surroundings, but he continues to wonder: Will his family ever be whole again? Or will they remain just out of reach, ninety miles across the sea?
About the Author:
Adrianna Cuevas is the author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez (FSG BYR, 2020). She is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. After teaching Spanish and ESOL for sixteen years, she decided to pursue her passion for storytelling.
Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, TX with her husband and son where they enjoy hiking, traveling, and cooking lots of Cuban food.
Cuba in My Pocket Review:
What if you had to leave your family to live and adapt yourself in a foreign country at the age of twelve? “Cuba in My Pocket” captured my heart from the first page, and I could not put it down.
Firstly let me talk about the characters. Cumba is excellent, and I immediately rooted for him. It was interesting to see how Fidel’s Revolution impacted his family, and they had to go through quite a few struggles. He sees the change in his country and has trouble recognizing it after Fidel’s takeover. I loved how he tried to stay positive and had a responsibility to represent Cuba well. I loved all the historical details that the author added to the tale to make it as accurate as possible.
The author also places the story so grippingly for a middle-grade novel. I got goosebumps reading some of the scenes, like when Pepito witnesses something horrible and starts crying or when Cumba has trouble communicating and fitting in Miami. Moreover, the author has used her own family experiences and written the story with her heart poured into it. Similarly, I also enjoyed the letters exchanged between Pepito and Cumba. Even the supporting characters like Mr. Reynolds and Arnold were memorable.
Moreover, I loved how authentic the author made the book. She beautifully embeds various Spanish terms in the dialogues, where even if you don’t understand its meaning, you get what they are saying. Nevertheless, I also appreciated the glossary of terms she includes towards the end. This book will make you smile, cry, and warm your heart, and also make you learn about the Revolution.
Overall, “Cuba in My Pocket ” is a lovely historical, middle-grade fiction that I would highly recommend.
