Memoir Review

Adios, Havana: A Memoir
by Andrew J. Rodriguez
ISBN-10: 1598000489
Review by Heather Froeschl

Every American should read the stories of those who have chosen to live here. Those who complain about life in a land of opportunity should consider what other options they have and be grateful. In a memoir of his leaving his beloved island behind in order to make a new life for his wife and himself, Andrew J. Rodriguez brings the reader to Cuba and offers a sense of the insecurity, the lack of privacy and the burning hope for change.

Rodriguez allows the reader to feel his emotions as he made the decision to leave Cuba, jumped through the outrageous hoops to be able to do so, and came face to face with the reality of starting over in the United States. What's more is that he shares the details of his parents' lives, and his in-laws' lives, and the story of his wife's 110-year-old grandfather. Through it all Rodriguez offers to readers the honest memories of his past, not holding back the intimate details of living.

I've always wanted to visit Cuba and through the pages of "Adios, Havana" I was able to do so. I witnessed the beauty of it and the culture that permeates Andrew's story. I also witnessed the deception of Castro and the result of his coming to power. I can only be grateful that I was born in America and mindful that others weren't. Rodriguez shares the details of his coming to America and the struggle to find his own American Dream. Through this portion of the book one is reminded that opportunities are out there and it is up to the person in need of them to find them.

With a style that is open and honest, Andrew's writing is smooth and easy to read. Like chatting with an old friend over coffee, it is easy to be caught up in the tale. Readers will care what happens to Andrew and his family and this personal story tells me so much more than I ever learned about Cuba in school. Here is a family legacy to be proud of.

The book is a must read, in my opinion, and one that you won't soon forget.