Hijuelos, Oscar

In the 1960s, Rico Fuentes, a pale-skinned Cuban American teenager, abandons drug-infested New York City for the picket fence and apple pie world of Wisconsin, only to discover that he still feels like an outsider and that violent and judgmental people can be found even in the wholesome Midwest.

When Mark Twain and Sir Henry Morton Stanley meet as journalist in the American West, the two connect over their passion for writing and shared contempt for slavery. From searching for Stanley's adoptive father in Cuba to consulting with mediums after the death of Twain's daughter, their friendship enriches and enlivens two historical icons.

In the 1960s, Rico Fuentes, a pale-skinned Cuban American teenager, abandons drug-infested New York City for the picket fence and apple pie world of Wisconsin, only to discover that he still feels like an outsider and that violent and judgmental people can be found even in the wholesome Midwest.

Cesar and Nestor, Cuban musicians, make their way from Havana to the New York stage in 1949 where they share triumphs and tragedies.

In the 1960s, Rico Fuentes, a pale-skinned Cuban American teenager, abandons drug-infested New York City for the picket fence and apple pie world of Wisconsin, only to discover that he still feels like an outsider and that violent and judgmental people can be found even in the wholesome Midwest.

Cesar and Nestor, Cuban musicians, make their way from Havana to the New York stage in 1949 where they share triumphs and tragedies.

Hector Santinio, the son of Cuban immigrants, grows up in New York City in the 1950s, struggling to understand his cultural identity and to come to terms with his high-living father.

Mr. Ives' personal peace and faith in the goodness of God are imperilled when his son is shot and killed just before Christmas.

Cesar and Nestor, Cuban musicians, make their way from Havana to the New York stage in 1949 where they share triumphs and tragedies.