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chrism6's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
4.0
I adored this book! What a sweet story seeped in such a sad history. The story is about a Cuban family from a small seaside town who makes the awful decision to send their children alone to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan. The author does a fabulous job of showing the love this family has for each other through the eyes of a 14 year old girl while including normal 14 year old rebellious feelings. The historical information was minimal and women throughout the story in an unobtrusive way.
When Lucia and her brother arrive in America and are eventually placed with a family it was so sweet and such a great story that I felt my hope for America be rekindled. In this time of bat shit crazy republican rhetoric and Americans screaming to stop foreign aid, The Red Umbrella reminds us that there is still kindness out there and we're all human, we all have brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and fathers who love us, and goodwill towards mankind can stem from anywhere.
This is my first foray into a Cuban novel and so I'm sure the novelty of it is part of why I loved it so much. I have a Cuban friend and after meeting his parents I've been even more intrigued by the history of this country and after reading this heartwarming little book I feel a definite Cuban craze coming on. If you know of any good books out there about this fascinating nation let me know!
When Lucia and her brother arrive in America and are eventually placed with a family it was so sweet and such a great story that I felt my hope for America be rekindled. In this time of bat shit crazy republican rhetoric and Americans screaming to stop foreign aid, The Red Umbrella reminds us that there is still kindness out there and we're all human, we all have brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and fathers who love us, and goodwill towards mankind can stem from anywhere.
This is my first foray into a Cuban novel and so I'm sure the novelty of it is part of why I loved it so much. I have a Cuban friend and after meeting his parents I've been even more intrigued by the history of this country and after reading this heartwarming little book I feel a definite Cuban craze coming on. If you know of any good books out there about this fascinating nation let me know!
poachedeggs's review against another edition
2.0
This completely reminded me of [b:Life, After|7163245|Life, After|Sarah Darer Littman|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1262451680s/7163245.jpg|7507764] - both are more suitable for middle-grade children, and about young children who have to move to the U.S. from other countries (Cuba in this book and Argentina in Life, After). Both are pretty feel-good despite some of the horrifying incidents mentioned in the respective political climates... and both are just so-so in terms of writing.
Reading this did make me wonder how some children's/middle-grade books can be so well-written as to captivate even adults like me - [b:Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie|318404|Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie|Jordan Sonnenblick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285381604s/318404.jpg|2129865] and even [b:The Strange Case of Origami Yoda|7150174|The Strange Case of Origami Yoda|Tom Angleberger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275872767s/7150174.jpg|7415356] come to mind. Simplicity need not be equivalent to superficiality, after all. I think it is the creativity and humour of my favourite children's books that distinguish them from the run-of-the-mill ones - either that or the evocativeness of the landscape (I read the [b:Little House on the Prairie|77767|Little House on the Prairie|Laura Ingalls Wilder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266467294s/77767.jpg|2884161] series only when I was 23, and loved it).
The Red Umbrella has the usual cliches - the mischievous younger brother, the (disillusionment with the) love interest, even the pillar-of-strength father who crumbles physically at one point (very much like Life, After - only the falling apart there is psychological). The unusual details are provided for by history - and even so, presented in broad strokes (e.g. the best friend who becomes a fervent supporter of the Communist revolution).
It was readable, but much like with Littman, I felt that Gonzalez had some interesting facts to share and used the story as a platform to convey these to young readers, rather than told a story for its own characters' sake.
Reading this did make me wonder how some children's/middle-grade books can be so well-written as to captivate even adults like me - [b:Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie|318404|Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie|Jordan Sonnenblick|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1285381604s/318404.jpg|2129865] and even [b:The Strange Case of Origami Yoda|7150174|The Strange Case of Origami Yoda|Tom Angleberger|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1275872767s/7150174.jpg|7415356] come to mind. Simplicity need not be equivalent to superficiality, after all. I think it is the creativity and humour of my favourite children's books that distinguish them from the run-of-the-mill ones - either that or the evocativeness of the landscape (I read the [b:Little House on the Prairie|77767|Little House on the Prairie|Laura Ingalls Wilder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266467294s/77767.jpg|2884161] series only when I was 23, and loved it).
The Red Umbrella has the usual cliches - the mischievous younger brother, the (disillusionment with the) love interest, even the pillar-of-strength father who crumbles physically at one point (very much like Life, After - only the falling apart there is psychological). The unusual details are provided for by history - and even so, presented in broad strokes (e.g. the best friend who becomes a fervent supporter of the Communist revolution).
It was readable, but much like with Littman, I felt that Gonzalez had some interesting facts to share and used the story as a platform to convey these to young readers, rather than told a story for its own characters' sake.
marmeelovesbook's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was wonderful to learn a bit more about Operation Pedro Pan and I really loved the characters. This one pulled on my heartstrings for sure. Loved it!
scribesprite's review against another edition
4.0
Good old historical fiction never fails. Lucia is our girl of interest. Time period is the 1960s however this isn't about the civil rights movement it's about Operation Pedro Pan because of the Communist Movement going on in Cuba.
Lucia seems to be average but spoiled in the beginning of the book. This annoyed me. I guess it's realistic since she is fourteen and basically has had (up until now) a fairly carefree life but it was still off putting. Once problems start arising and Lucia starts to realize the seriousness of the 'Revolution' Lucia takes things as best as can be handled. She matures exceedingly throughout the book.
I liked that the story was serious and gave a fairly good overview of what was happening without it being too dark for younger readers. Lucia's voice rang true the more I read. Almost half the book goes by before Lucia and her brother reach Nebraska so a good amount of the book is dedicated to Cuba. Once Lucia reaches Nebraska the culture shock kicks in. The different food, the different language, and the homesickness all seemed realistic.
The book is written in English of course but there were times that a Spanish word was said. Other books I've read do this but not as often. This was fine with me because I can understand Spanish fairly well, but I can't help but think that I would've been annoyed if I didn't. There is a glossary in the back but I didn't realize this until half-way through the book. Maybe it was to remind the reader that they were talking in Spanish but I can't be sure.
But anyways, it was a good story, good writing, and I gained some knowledge about something I only heard about in passing during history.
Lucia seems to be average but spoiled in the beginning of the book. This annoyed me. I guess it's realistic since she is fourteen and basically has had (up until now) a fairly carefree life but it was still off putting. Once problems start arising and Lucia starts to realize the seriousness of the 'Revolution' Lucia takes things as best as can be handled. She matures exceedingly throughout the book.
I liked that the story was serious and gave a fairly good overview of what was happening without it being too dark for younger readers. Lucia's voice rang true the more I read. Almost half the book goes by before Lucia and her brother reach Nebraska so a good amount of the book is dedicated to Cuba. Once Lucia reaches Nebraska the culture shock kicks in. The different food, the different language, and the homesickness all seemed realistic.
The book is written in English of course but there were times that a Spanish word was said. Other books I've read do this but not as often. This was fine with me because I can understand Spanish fairly well, but I can't help but think that I would've been annoyed if I didn't. There is a glossary in the back but I didn't realize this until half-way through the book. Maybe it was to remind the reader that they were talking in Spanish but I can't be sure.
But anyways, it was a good story, good writing, and I gained some knowledge about something I only heard about in passing during history.
lumos_libros's review against another edition
4.0
Ok, so I have to admit that when I started reading this book I wasn't clicking with it the way I wanted to. Looking back the problem was that I had an expectation of how the tone of the book should be like, but that's unfair to the book. I let my expectations fall to the wayside and I'm so glad I did.
Our protagonist, Lucia Alvarez, is living in Cuba at turbulent times when Fidel Castro is rising to power and families, friendships, and a sense of country are rapidly falling apart. Lucia though is focused on how her parents are being too overprotective, wishing she could dance with the boy of her dreams, and how big her quinceanera is going to be. Sure enough, Lucia starts seeing how wrong things truly are. When things seem like they couldn't get worse, they do. Her parents decide that she and her brother Frankie need to leave Cuba and go to the land of prosperity, the United States.
The contrast of cultures is what really impressed me. Though I'm not Cuban, I did appreciate some of the refrences made that reminded of things that are part of the Hispanic culture. Since the story is set in two different countries naturally we see how Lucia and Frankie cope with the change. I just laughed to see how they went from Cuba to Miami to a farmtown in Nebraska. Talk about a culture shock. I really could sympathize with Lucia. It would be beyond hard to be pushed to leave the only home you have ever known, and all the people and things that you connect with who you are. The author gives the reader a strong sense of the seriousness of the situation without it being too overwhelming for younger readers, which was essential so it could be enjoyable for the targeted audience. Mission accomplished.
In the beginning I couldn't grab a hold of who Lucia was, but having to witness her being brave because she had no other choice really gave me the chance to see the core of her character. Definite props to the author because I hadn't heard too much about Operation Pedro Pan before reading this book. Only misgiving I have is that I wish that the story and some of the characters had been more fleshed out.
The title, The Red Umbrella , is quite fitting. The part where we see the correlation made me tear up just a little bit. A book filled with fortitude, and the sense of what home is.
Our protagonist, Lucia Alvarez, is living in Cuba at turbulent times when Fidel Castro is rising to power and families, friendships, and a sense of country are rapidly falling apart. Lucia though is focused on how her parents are being too overprotective, wishing she could dance with the boy of her dreams, and how big her quinceanera is going to be. Sure enough, Lucia starts seeing how wrong things truly are. When things seem like they couldn't get worse, they do. Her parents decide that she and her brother Frankie need to leave Cuba and go to the land of prosperity, the United States.
The contrast of cultures is what really impressed me. Though I'm not Cuban, I did appreciate some of the refrences made that reminded of things that are part of the Hispanic culture. Since the story is set in two different countries naturally we see how Lucia and Frankie cope with the change. I just laughed to see how they went from Cuba to Miami to a farmtown in Nebraska. Talk about a culture shock. I really could sympathize with Lucia. It would be beyond hard to be pushed to leave the only home you have ever known, and all the people and things that you connect with who you are. The author gives the reader a strong sense of the seriousness of the situation without it being too overwhelming for younger readers, which was essential so it could be enjoyable for the targeted audience. Mission accomplished.
In the beginning I couldn't grab a hold of who Lucia was, but having to witness her being brave because she had no other choice really gave me the chance to see the core of her character. Definite props to the author because I hadn't heard too much about Operation Pedro Pan before reading this book. Only misgiving I have is that I wish that the story and some of the characters had been more fleshed out.
The title, The Red Umbrella , is quite fitting. The part where we see the correlation made me tear up just a little bit. A book filled with fortitude, and the sense of what home is.
augsayswhat's review against another edition
5.0
I loved the book, it is about immigration and family, to things important in our society. It reflects things that happen to todays` immigrants, but happens in Cuba when Castro ruled. It is a great book if you love realistic fiction with a twist.
cozylittlebrownhouse's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this story about a young girl coming of age during the revolution in Cuba. I have read other books, both fiction and nonfiction about this topic, but this was the first from a young girl's perspective. This is a book that I think adults can enjoy, and one I would certainly recommend to my high school Spanish classes for a reading project.
aprilyang1's review against another edition
5.0
I rated ‘The Red Umbrella’ 5 stars!
While this story is fictional, it is based on the true event’s inspired by the many children who left Cuba without their parents/guardians for America between 1960-1962.
Truly, this story was beautiful. Christina Diaz Gonzalez does a wonderful job pacing the story so it that feels natural. I felt that I was there watching Lucia grow up and each character felt special/unique in their own way. Lucia, especially, I think was written as if she were a real teenager who is struggling to be like her peers or be true to herself. If I am being honest, I did not have anything I disliked about this story,
Overall, I loved this book so much! l’d definitely recommend this book for everyone.
While this story is fictional, it is based on the true event’s inspired by the many children who left Cuba without their parents/guardians for America between 1960-1962.
Truly, this story was beautiful. Christina Diaz Gonzalez does a wonderful job pacing the story so it that feels natural. I felt that I was there watching Lucia grow up and each character felt special/unique in their own way. Lucia, especially, I think was written as if she were a real teenager who is struggling to be like her peers or be true to herself. If I am being honest, I did not have anything I disliked about this story,
Overall, I loved this book so much! l’d definitely recommend this book for everyone.