Adios, Havana: A Memoir by Andrew J. Rodriguez
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Book Summary Author: Andrew J. Rodriguez Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published) Published: 2005-08-29 ISBN: 1598000489 Number of pages: 272 Publisher: Outskirts Press |
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Book Reviews of the Adios, Havana: A Memoir
Customer Review: Adventure, Love, and Free Enterprise!
Summary: 5 Stars
Review of "Adios, Havana: A Memoir" by Andrew J. Rodriguez; review by Walden P. Pratt
Andrew Rodriguez grew up in pre-Castro Cuba of the 1950s, where there was relative freedom and prosperity, casinos and nightclubs, even under the corrupt government of the despot Batista. In this exciting memoir he writes vividly of his teenage years in a middle-class Havana family, learning about the threats of Communism from his father, but also hanging out with his buddies: ogling girls, and snorkeling and fishing in the blue waters of the Alligator Island-an idyllic life for a teenage boy. He also writes of the dangers of foregoing the politically correct La Universidad de La Habana in order to attend a private school at night to learn accounting-a profession that he found totally boring, although it would one day support his family for a time. He writes of the enthusiasm with which the populace greeted the "savior" Castro in his first parade-and then of the gradual disillusionment as the reality of a new and even worse dictatorship set in; of elation, then sudden letdown, when the Bay of Pigs invasion collapsed. It is a story of living first in frustration and later in perpetual danger, of a yearning to escape tyranny but the fear of fatal consequences if such an attempt should fail.
But this is also very much a love story-a story of Andrew's unswerving devotion to Margarita, the cultured, well-educated beauty with whom he fell in love, almost literally at first sight. He writes with delightful candor about their courtship, the games they both played as they overcame their shyness, but also the deep, abiding love that grew as they learned more about each other and eventually married. He writes suspensefully of their escape from Cuba in November 1961, and of the endless bureaucratic tangles that had to be navigated for permission to leave. He tells of the close call with the authorities on his departure; and of Margarita's arriving at Miami airport a day later, unable to speak English and with her beloved Andy nowhere in sight.
Finally, this is a modern Horatio Alger story of American free enterprise, of how the Rodriguezes arrived in Miami almost penniless, and how Andy felt blessed to work at any job he could find, however menial or repulsive. He writes poignantly of their later move to Colorado under the sponsorship of a local church, and of their incredulous feelings at the overwhelming kindness of these strangers who provided food, housing, and love. And finally, he describes how, through a combination of hard work and Divine providence, they built a highly successful business that has enabled them to retire in comfort.
That Castro still rules Cuba must surely be heartbreaking to the countless thousands of Cuban immigrants who loved that beautiful island nation as it once was. Rodriguez's glimpse of life there before and after Castro took over, and his account of the adventure of starting a new life in the U.S., is a compelling tale in itself, and his smooth, informal style makes it a very easy read.