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robintheherrera's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Set in Cuba, 1961. The revolution is drastically affecting Lucia and her family. Soldiers are everywhere. Her family is being watched. Finally, her parents make the difficult decision to send Lucia and her 7-year-old brother to the US - alone! They will try to come later. Lucia and Frankie end up with a lovely family in Nebraska, but nothing is like it was and they miss their parents, plus they don't know when or if they will ever be all together again.
I appreciated that the family who took the kids in was so genuine and warm, not a horrible foster family as is so often portrayed.
Set in Cuba, 1961. The revolution is drastically affecting Lucia and her family. Soldiers are everywhere. Her family is being watched. Finally, her parents make the difficult decision to send Lucia and her 7-year-old brother to the US - alone! They will try to come later. Lucia and Frankie end up with a lovely family in Nebraska, but nothing is like it was and they miss their parents, plus they don't know when or if they will ever be all together again.
I appreciated that the family who took the kids in was so genuine and warm, not a horrible foster family as is so often portrayed.
vfosslay's review against another edition
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend the audiobook version. It was fascinating to learn about Cuba in the 1960’s from a teenage perspective.
sruthi_sreenivasan's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
catebutler's review against another edition
3.0
This book immediately caught my attention since I didn't know much about the mass exodus from Cuba during the regime of Castro. The plot was quite simple and easy to follow but at times I thought the writing was a bit childish, and taxing because of its simplicity. I had to remind myself that it was written from the perspective of a 15 yesr old. Overall I thought that it was an interesting read, and has prompted me to find out more about this time period in history and the relationship between USA/Cuba.
arisbookcorner's review against another edition
4.0
I gobbled up this story, but even non history lovers will find something to love in this novel. Christina Diaz Gonzalez has effortlessly transported readers back to a time and place that is glided over in American history. Lucia was a realistic fourteen year old, she has to grow up fast, but she doesn't realize that right away. She doesn't understand all the changes going on in Cuba and she doesn't really want to. All Lucia wants is to have life go back to normal (although she's perfectly happy with school being shut down), not be forced to stay inside. I enjoyed watching her slowly become more mature. I adored Frankie, Lucia's seven year old brother. Frankie is determined to protect Lucia when they first arrive in America, but as he settles into life in Nebraska, he reverts back to his childlike ways. The setting of Cuba is distinctly described, there is a sense of impending danger hidden by the lull of everyday life in Cuba. Lucia's parents are trying to protect her and her brother from knowing how severe their situation is.
The first half of the book that takes place in Cuba, slowly unravels to reveal complex people and events. The second half of the book seemed rushed (Sidenote: I'm very curious as to why the story takes place in Nebraska, seems pretty random). We start in the summer and end up shortly after 1962 begins. I wanted to see a little more development of Lucia's life at school, instead the people she meets are merely glossed over. I was disappointed in Yvette's storyline. Yvette is Lucia's best friend and she becomes a member of Castro's communist children brigade (Jovenes Rebeldes). I wish that we had gotten more of Yvette's side of the story. At first, Yvette joins Jovenes Rebeldes because her parents force her to but she has an abrupt change of heart towards the end of the story. I wanted to better understand why people supported Castro, instead we were provided with a one dimensional view of the evils of Castro (and believe me, the man is crazy).
The Red Umbrella is a stirring story about an event in history that we can still feel the effects of today. The Alvarez family is loving and memorable (especially Frankie!). The pacing of the story is uneven, but this doesn't take away too much from the events at the heart of the story. Everyone can relate to this story in some way, we are after all a nation of immigrants. The struggles Lucia and Frankie face are ones that our ancestors have faced, no matter how far back you have to go. I came away from this story with the desire to learn more about my own family's history in America. What makes this story even more powerful is the fact that Lucia and Frankie had to adjust to life in America, alone, at such a young age. They are true embodiments of unselfishness and bravery and I'm not sure if teenagers today (myself included) would be able to do what they did. Walk away from everything you know and love and get settled in a foreign country. My hope is that people who read this story (especially teenagers) will be inspired to find out more about their own family history and will better understand the situation in Cuba, if only a little bit better than before. The meaning of the red umbrella was so hopeful and warm. At a certain point, I had to hold back some sniffles :)
The first half of the book that takes place in Cuba, slowly unravels to reveal complex people and events. The second half of the book seemed rushed (Sidenote: I'm very curious as to why the story takes place in Nebraska, seems pretty random). We start in the summer and end up shortly after 1962 begins. I wanted to see a little more development of Lucia's life at school, instead the people she meets are merely glossed over. I was disappointed in Yvette's storyline. Yvette is Lucia's best friend and she becomes a member of Castro's communist children brigade (Jovenes Rebeldes). I wish that we had gotten more of Yvette's side of the story. At first, Yvette joins Jovenes Rebeldes because her parents force her to but she has an abrupt change of heart towards the end of the story. I wanted to better understand why people supported Castro, instead we were provided with a one dimensional view of the evils of Castro (and believe me, the man is crazy).
The Red Umbrella is a stirring story about an event in history that we can still feel the effects of today. The Alvarez family is loving and memorable (especially Frankie!). The pacing of the story is uneven, but this doesn't take away too much from the events at the heart of the story. Everyone can relate to this story in some way, we are after all a nation of immigrants. The struggles Lucia and Frankie face are ones that our ancestors have faced, no matter how far back you have to go. I came away from this story with the desire to learn more about my own family's history in America. What makes this story even more powerful is the fact that Lucia and Frankie had to adjust to life in America, alone, at such a young age. They are true embodiments of unselfishness and bravery and I'm not sure if teenagers today (myself included) would be able to do what they did. Walk away from everything you know and love and get settled in a foreign country. My hope is that people who read this story (especially teenagers) will be inspired to find out more about their own family history and will better understand the situation in Cuba, if only a little bit better than before. The meaning of the red umbrella was so hopeful and warm. At a certain point, I had to hold back some sniffles :)
heathertruett's review against another edition
5.0
This book, y’all!
Every summer, Audio File gives away audio books weekly. I have a really bad habit of downloading them and then forgetting them, because I never had room to store them on my phone. Now, with a newer bigger phone, I do. I am so glad I did not download The Red Umbrella and forget about it.
Christina Diaz Gonzalez is going on my list of must-read writers. Her novel is set in Cuba and America, circa 1961. The main character, Lucía Álvarez, is a young teen at the beginning of Castro’s reign. Her parents are not part of the revolution and want to get Lucía and her brother, Frankie, to safety.
As the story unfolded, I learned a lot about Cuba and also saw similarities to aspects of America’s current political atmosphere. It was a scary realization, that thoughts in my head match the thoughts of people watching Castro take over their country. So many people were certain communism could not win, that the whole thing was a political phase that would fade into memory soon enough. They were wrong.
The writing was beautiful and dealt with fear and tragedy in a poetic and heartbreaking manner. I loved the American couple in the second half of the story, despite Mrs. Baxter’s ignorance of Lucía’s culture and what the world is actually like outside of small town America. Her heart was pure, and the mix-and-match family created by the situation was beautiful.
I just cannot say enough good about this book. Go buy it. Right now.
Every summer, Audio File gives away audio books weekly. I have a really bad habit of downloading them and then forgetting them, because I never had room to store them on my phone. Now, with a newer bigger phone, I do. I am so glad I did not download The Red Umbrella and forget about it.
Christina Diaz Gonzalez is going on my list of must-read writers. Her novel is set in Cuba and America, circa 1961. The main character, Lucía Álvarez, is a young teen at the beginning of Castro’s reign. Her parents are not part of the revolution and want to get Lucía and her brother, Frankie, to safety.
As the story unfolded, I learned a lot about Cuba and also saw similarities to aspects of America’s current political atmosphere. It was a scary realization, that thoughts in my head match the thoughts of people watching Castro take over their country. So many people were certain communism could not win, that the whole thing was a political phase that would fade into memory soon enough. They were wrong.
The writing was beautiful and dealt with fear and tragedy in a poetic and heartbreaking manner. I loved the American couple in the second half of the story, despite Mrs. Baxter’s ignorance of Lucía’s culture and what the world is actually like outside of small town America. Her heart was pure, and the mix-and-match family created by the situation was beautiful.
I just cannot say enough good about this book. Go buy it. Right now.
beecheralyson's review against another edition
5.0
This story was good to read but also hard to read. Diaz Gonzalez did an amazing job in capturing all of the emotions that her characters were going through in such a tumultuous time. I'll be writing up a more complete review later, but definitely a book I would recommend.