cuba

"There are two versions of Hector: the public and the private. It's the only way to survive in communist Cuba--especially when your father was exiled to the U.S. and labeled an enemy of the people. Hector must always be seen as a fierce supporter of the regime, even if that means loudly rejecting the father he still loves. But in the summer of 1980, those two versions are hard to keep separate. No longer able to suppress a public uprising, the Cuban government says it will open the port of Mariel to all who wish to leave the country--if they can find a boat. But choosing to leave comes with a price. Those who want to flee are denounced as traitors by family and friends. There are violent acts of repudiation, and no one knows if they will truly be allowed to leave the country or not. So when Hector's mother announces that she wants the family to risk everything to go to the United States, he is torn. He misses his father, but Cuba is the only home he has ever known. All his dreams and plans require him to stay. Can he leave everything behind for an unknown future?"--Publisher.

"A memoir by the highest-ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars that America has fought since the Vietnam Era. Enrique Prado found himself in his first firefight at age seven. The son of a middle-class Cuban family caught in the midst of the Castro Revolution, his family fled their war-torn home for the hope of a better life in America. Fifty years later, the Cuban refugee retired from the Central Intelligence Agency as the CIA equivalent of a two-star general. [This book] is the story of Ric's legendary career that spanned two eras, the Cold War and the Age of Terrorism"--Adapted from publisher description.

"When Esperanza and her family arrive in the United States from Cuba, they buy a little house, una casita. It may be small, but they soon prove that there's room enough to share with a whole community"--Provided by publisher.

In Cuba's "special period in times of peace" of 1991, Liana and Amado find love after their severe hunger gives both courage to risk government retribution by skipping a summer of labor to seek food. Told in their two voices plus that of the stray dog that brought them together.

Employs poetic verse to describe the life of twelve-year-old Rima who lives with her mother and grandmother, but has no rights according to the 1920s-era Cuban government because she was born out of wedlock. Shunned by her father and half-sister who live in wealth, Rima longs to be as free as the horses she rides. Rima decides to fight back against this unfair system, joining with a social activist group known as the mambisas, who fought for Cuba's independence from Spain and who now fight for women's suffrage.

In 1920s Cuba, Rima is bullied and shunned for her illegitimacy, but finds solace in riding her horse and forges unexpected friendships with others who share her dreams of freedom and suffrage. Includes historical note.

"As a young girl in Cuba, Alicia Alonso practiced ballet in tennis shoes. Within a few years, she was in New York City, with a promising ballet career. But her eyesight began to fail. When Alicia needed surgeries to save her vision, dancing was impossible, but she wouldn't give up her dream. She found the strength and determination to return to the stage and become a prima ballerina. This is the true story of a woman who overcame her challenges, mastered her art, and inspired others to dance and dream"--Provided by publisher.

The story about a girl finding her voice . . . and fighting for survival against the legendary Mega Croc of Cuba.

The author recalls her life and impressions growing up in Cuba.

An old man catches a magnificent marlin and must battle the elements, the sea and sharks to get his catch home.