This entry in the Hooblers' American Family Album series (The Jewish American Family Album, 1995, etc.) begins with an introduction by Oscar Hijuelos, who notes, ``where there are Cubans, there will be much warmth, life and amazing energy.'' A collection of oral histories and memoirs grouped by topic offer firsthand accounts of ``The Old Country,'' ``Coming to the United States,'' ``Ports of Entry,'' ``A New Life,'' ``Putting Down Roots,'' and ``Part of the United States.'' Readers will learn about the quincea§era, the celebration of a young woman's 15th birthday, how immigration to the US broke down the extended Cuban family, once the strongest force in that society, and how Desi Arnaz became the first famous Cuban American. The black-and-white photographs in the album reflect the various moods of these memoirs and manifest the Cuban-American story. Insets on celebrities such as Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan add interest, as does a recipe for black beans, the staple of Cuban cooking. The grouping of memoirs around general topics leads to some natural disjointedness, but overall this is a good summation of the successful assimilation of Cubans into—and their contributions to- -American culture. (chronology, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Dec. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-19-508132-3
Page Count: 127
Publisher: Oxford Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In a sequel to the well-received I Have Lived a Thousand Years (1997, not reviewed), Bitton-Jackson writes of her life as Elli Friedmann in 1945, when she, her brother, and mother were liberated from Auschwitz and sent back to their former home in Czechoslovakia. Finding only a shell of the place they had known, they struggled to rebuild some semblance of life and waited for the return of Elli’s father. When they realized he was gone for good, their only hope through all their efforts was the prospect of obtaining papers that would allow them to emigrate to America. Through the long years that they waited, Elli found work teaching, and helping other Jews escape to Palestine, a dangerous and illegal undertaking. When they finally arrived in New York City, relatives welcomed them; an epilogue collapses most of the author’s adult life into a few paragraphs so readers will know the directions her life took. Interesting and inspiring, this story makes painfully clear how the fight to survive extended well beyond the war years; the discomforts and obstacles the author faced and articulates in such riveting detail will make readers squirm at the security and ease of their own lives. (Memoir. 12-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-689-82026-7
Page Count: 258
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
Marguerite Henry died barely two years ago, after living the life of which most writers dream: She wrote from the time she was young, her parents encouraged her, she published early and often, and her books were honored and loved in her lifetime. Her hobby, she said, was words, but it was also her life and livelihood. Her research skills were honed by working in her local library, doing book repair. Her husband Sidney supported and encouraged her work, and they traveled widely as she carefully researched the horses on Chincoteague and the burros in the Grand Canyon. She worked in great harmony with her usual illustrator, Wesley Dennis, and was writing up until she died. Collins is a bit overwrought in his prose, but Henry comes across as strong and engaging as she must have been in person. Researchers will be delighted to find her Newbery acceptance speech included in its entirety. (b&w photos, bibliography, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: March 10, 1999
ISBN: 1-883846-39-0
Page Count: 112
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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