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jgintrovertedreader's review against another edition
5.0
Lucía Álvarez is your typical teenage girl. She has a crush on cute Manuel, she and her best friend Ivette are interested in all the latest fashions and movies, and she's trying to fit in at school. So when Fidel Castro cancels classes, her only thought is enjoying her unexpected freedom. She slowly realizes how dangerous things are becoming in her country. Finally, her parents break the news that Lucía and her younger brother Frankie are being sent to America, where they don't know anyone, all alone.
My father-in-law is Cuban and he was about Lucía's age when he left Cuba on one of the so-called Pedro Pan flights. He was fortunate to have family waiting for him in America. Because of him, I am fascinated by this country's history. To think that my father-in-law lived through a revolution and is part of a community that still in large part considers themselves to be exiles 50 years later. It just blows my mind. So when I came across this book, I knew I had to read it.
I loved it. It works precisely because Lucía is the girl next door. There's nothing that really stands out about her, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. She's a nice girl just trying to grow up and worrying about her first dance. Most of us can probably relate. As the revolution insidiously intrudes on her life, she is horrified and terrified. She sees things that no 14-year-old girl should see.
And then she's in America alone with her seven-year-old brother. She speaks very little English and doesn't know anyone. So now there's the immigrant experience as she learns about a new culture and new people and tries her best to fit in at a new school. And she's still trying to grow up the best she can. She's also worried about her parents back home in Cuba, who are standing out because they aren't supporting the revolution. Dangerous choices.
The title The Red Umbrella is absolutely perfect. I thought it was kind of odd at first, but it's quickly explained and becomes one of the book's major themes. Its symbolism almost had me in tears a few times.
It was scary to see how Castro indoctrinated the children of Cuba so quickly. Seven-year-old Frankie already had some unusual ideas from his teachers at school. Parents were pressured into sending their children to volunteer to teach other children out in the country. This was really just an excuse to teach Castro's ideals to impressionable children/teens away from their parents for the first time. Lucía's friend Ivette has a difficult story arc to read. She's so young, how is she supposed to stand against this ideology being pushed at her on all sides?
I read Carlos Eire's memoir, [b:Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy|201113|Waiting for Snow in Havana Confessions of a Cuban Boy|Carlos Eire|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266494878s/201113.jpg|83317] several years ago and enjoyed that look into Cuban life. I related to The Red Umbrella a little easier because it's told from Lucía's point of view. I'm all about the girl next door, but I don't have much in common with overly-rambunctious boys telling the same story.
Still, I loved this and highly recommend it. Not only for the history, but to meet likable Lucía and to see how she deals with her new home.
My father-in-law is Cuban and he was about Lucía's age when he left Cuba on one of the so-called Pedro Pan flights. He was fortunate to have family waiting for him in America. Because of him, I am fascinated by this country's history. To think that my father-in-law lived through a revolution and is part of a community that still in large part considers themselves to be exiles 50 years later. It just blows my mind. So when I came across this book, I knew I had to read it.
I loved it. It works precisely because Lucía is the girl next door. There's nothing that really stands out about her, and I don't mean that in a bad way at all. She's a nice girl just trying to grow up and worrying about her first dance. Most of us can probably relate. As the revolution insidiously intrudes on her life, she is horrified and terrified. She sees things that no 14-year-old girl should see.
And then she's in America alone with her seven-year-old brother. She speaks very little English and doesn't know anyone. So now there's the immigrant experience as she learns about a new culture and new people and tries her best to fit in at a new school. And she's still trying to grow up the best she can. She's also worried about her parents back home in Cuba, who are standing out because they aren't supporting the revolution. Dangerous choices.
The title The Red Umbrella is absolutely perfect. I thought it was kind of odd at first, but it's quickly explained and becomes one of the book's major themes. Its symbolism almost had me in tears a few times.
It was scary to see how Castro indoctrinated the children of Cuba so quickly. Seven-year-old Frankie already had some unusual ideas from his teachers at school. Parents were pressured into sending their children to volunteer to teach other children out in the country. This was really just an excuse to teach Castro's ideals to impressionable children/teens away from their parents for the first time. Lucía's friend Ivette has a difficult story arc to read. She's so young, how is she supposed to stand against this ideology being pushed at her on all sides?
I read Carlos Eire's memoir, [b:Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy|201113|Waiting for Snow in Havana Confessions of a Cuban Boy|Carlos Eire|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266494878s/201113.jpg|83317] several years ago and enjoyed that look into Cuban life. I related to The Red Umbrella a little easier because it's told from Lucía's point of view. I'm all about the girl next door, but I don't have much in common with overly-rambunctious boys telling the same story.
Still, I loved this and highly recommend it. Not only for the history, but to meet likable Lucía and to see how she deals with her new home.
gkreads18's review against another edition
3.0
I read it for school and it wasn't as bad as people made it seem. It was good.
cathiedalziel's review against another edition
3.0
Good telling of a teenage girl and her younger brother who had to leave Cuba in 1961, to flee from the impact of the Revolution, without their parents. They were two of over thousands of children that were assisted out of Cuba at that time because their parents did not want them to forced to join the Brigades of the Revolution. This is one of many stories where the children were sent to America (they settled into Nebraska through churches and people who opened up their homes out of love and compassion).
bmpicc's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. My youngest enjoyed it and suggested I read it. We had an awesome conversation and it helped him understand more about Cuba and Castro. A piece of history we tend to only get a teaser of, not a deep dive. This book had references to communism, socialism, immigration, sexual assault, and so much more. Glad he read it, glad he told me about it, glad we talked about it. <3
dexdboxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this book definitely holds a special place in my heart since it’s about a young girl who had to be separated from her family and had to live in a boarding school far from home because of all the war happening in her country. it highlights the young character’s struggles really well, especially with the way she has to take care of her younger brother without any parental help. i enjoyed this book because it not only highlights the struggles of moving to a different country, but it talks about all sorts of struggles she faces.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
5.0
WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO READ THIS BOOK?! I am so glad that The Bluest Sky coming out and Christina coming to visit my school in February finally pushed me to read this book I’ve owned for years. It is definitely one of my favorite middle grade historical fiction books ever. It is engaging, informative, realistic, heart wrenching, and heart filling; in other words, everything you want a historical fiction book to be. And again, I learned more from this book about history than I did about Cuban history in any history class. I am now a smarter human.
courtneyajw's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in about 2 days. It draws you in and holds on. The characters are portrayed so well and the writing is superb. You truly feel what Lucia is feeling and experiencing. One less star because the ending felt a bit rushed.
maryehavens's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't know anything about the Cuban Revolution or Operation Pedro Pan before listening to this book and to have the story told from the perspective of a 14 year old girl was very interesting. I know the U.S. is criticized for it's lack of global knowledge but I feel we've definitely made strides since the 1960s.
Gonzalez does a great job of capturing the confusion of that time for the U.S. and Cuba with newspaper headlines and reports from Lucia's friend Yvette who remains in Cuba. The book did a good job of representing how individuals might feel on both side of the fence: betrayed for having to go to the U.S. or stick it out in Cuba, homesickness on both sides, cultural confusion and even racism, etc. I felt like Gonzalez captured a unique snapshot of this time.
Definitely recommended!!
Gonzalez does a great job of capturing the confusion of that time for the U.S. and Cuba with newspaper headlines and reports from Lucia's friend Yvette who remains in Cuba. The book did a good job of representing how individuals might feel on both side of the fence: betrayed for having to go to the U.S. or stick it out in Cuba, homesickness on both sides, cultural confusion and even racism, etc. I felt like Gonzalez captured a unique snapshot of this time.
Definitely recommended!!
lizaroo71's review against another edition
3.0
this is a little known history of the u.s. and for that i liked it. the story centers around the alvarez family. they live in cuba circa 1961 when castro's take over is imminent.
the parents of lucia and her younger brother frankie make the painful decision to send their children to the u.s. without them before castro decides the children of cuba's fate.
lucia and frankie find themselves first in miami and then in a small town in nebraska. the older couple that takes them in, mr. and mrs. baxter, treat them like their own children.
i thought the writing here felt stilted at times. there is a line in the book about lucia hating cups when a book she likes has to let go of her hand to pick one up. i found that analogy a bit weak.
overall, i liked that this book is based on an actual event that i knew little about. i also like the symbolism of the red umbrella.
the parents of lucia and her younger brother frankie make the painful decision to send their children to the u.s. without them before castro decides the children of cuba's fate.
lucia and frankie find themselves first in miami and then in a small town in nebraska. the older couple that takes them in, mr. and mrs. baxter, treat them like their own children.
i thought the writing here felt stilted at times. there is a line in the book about lucia hating cups when a book she likes has to let go of her hand to pick one up. i found that analogy a bit weak.
overall, i liked that this book is based on an actual event that i knew little about. i also like the symbolism of the red umbrella.