Cuba in My Pocket
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4.0 • 1 Rating
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
From Pura Belpré Honoree Adrianna Cuevas is 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.
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?
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of the Year
2024 Middle Grade Read Aloud list
"...Cuevas’ latest is a triumph of the heart...A compassionate, emotionally astute portrait of a young Cuban in exile." —Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW
"Cuevas’ intense and immersive account of a Cuban boy’s experience after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion brings a specific point in history alive." —Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
"Cuevas packs this sophomore novel with palpable emotions and themes of friendship, love, longing, and trauma, attentively conveying tumultuous historical events from the lens of one young refugee." — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cuevas (The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez) excavates family history to illuminate the Cuba of 1961 during Fidel Castro's reign. Cumba, 12, his family, and the other citizens of Cuba are attempting to adjust to the new order after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion a week before, living in fear of "Fidel's oppressive government" and soldiers. With the threat of Cumba getting drafted into the military, his family sends him to the United States alone. When Cumba arrives in Florida, he must learn to navigate his new home, school, and language, as well as the wave of homesickness that follows. His only respite is his new friends, fellow Cuban refugees Valeria and Alejandro, and letters from his younger brother, Pepito. But when bad news from home reaches Cumba as he is forced to start over again, he spirals into self-doubt and the guilt of leaving his family behind. Cuevas packs this sophomore novel with palpable emotions and themes of friendship, love, longing, and trauma, attentively conveying tumultuous historical events from the lens of one young refugee. Back matter features an author's note and glossary. Ages 8–12.
