Scan barcode
A review by lumos_libros
The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
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.