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Overview
Real Life in Castro's Cuba is written by Catherine Moses, who lived and worked in Cuba as a press secretary and spokesperson for the United States from 1995 to 1996. This compelling, compassionate portrait contains personal observations about the Cubans' struggles, triumphs, hopes, and daily compromises to survive. The Cuban population lives with a deteriorating infrastructure, forcing many hardships on the people, including a scarcity of food, fuel, clothing, medicines, and other basic needs.
The author's detailed cultural account of Cuba introduces the reader to everyday Cubans from party officials to dissidents to everyone in between. It shows how Cuba's socialist system works and gives reasons why Fidel Castro is still in power. Real Life in Castro's Cuba also describes the significant role of religion and spirituality in the life of Cubans. Although Moses expresses regret over the state of U.S.-Cuban relations, the purpose of the book is not to choose up sides. Instead, the book is designed simply to introduce readers to real life in Cuba.
The book's unique approach allows an intimate picture of life in a faded Marxist regime. As the author writes, 'Cuba is a curious mixture of Spanish Caribbean, socialist ideals gone awry, memories of what was, and a desperate need to survive.'
This fascinating new book will appeal to all readers who are interested in getting a closer look at what life is like in Cuba today.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780842028363 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 11/01/1999 |
| Series: | Latin American Silhouettes |
| Pages: | 184 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.89(w) x 8.97(h) x 0.81(d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Acknowledgments Chapter 2 Introduction Part 3 I The Cuban Reality Chapter 4 Loyalty to the Revolution Chapter 5 No Es Fßcil: Food and Daily Life Chapter 6 Hay Que Resolver: Working for Pesos and Dollars Chapter 7 Varadero: Life for Tourists Chapter 8 Triumphs of the Revolution: Health Care and Education Chapter 9 Civil Society Chapter 10 Why Don't They Rise Up? Chapter 11 Good Intentions Chapter 12 America! Chapter 13 Migration Chapter 14 The Migration Accords Chapter 15 News and Information Chapter 16 The Opposition, Concilio Cubano, and February 24 Chapter 17 The Fifth Party Plenum: Requiem for Hope Chapter 18 Reminiscing Part 19 II The Cuban Spirit Chapter 20 Soy Cuba: I am Cuba Chapter 21 Spirit and Soul Chapter 22 Caridad del Cobre Chapter 23 IndexWhat People are Saying About This
Catherine Moses clearly put her two years as 'Our Woman in Havana' to good use, developing a solid understanding of Cuba's faded dreams of a socialist utopia and gathering wonderfully human anecdotes about daily life.
Beautifully written, evocative and lyrical at the same time that it is chock full of information and local texture.
A heartfelt account of the daunting trials that confront the Cuban people, written with passion and affection.
We readers are the beneficiaries of Moses's deep understanding of the Cuban people and the political, economic, and social transformation they are carrying out against the will of their government.
An unusually insightful, and brutally candid book. Moses offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a turning point in the history of Cuba. Her intellectual honesty, her engaging humor, and her deep love for Cuba and the Cubans ooze from every page. It is a bittersweet account that captures graphically the haunting surrealism of the Cuban existence.