Customer Reviews

Boxing For Cuba: An Immigrant's Story of Despair, Endurance, & Redemption

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Guillermo Vidal's richly detailed writing makes the heart ache as he recounts his family's immigration from Cuba to the United States. An intimate family portrait emerges from the struggle and conflicts this family endures and ultimately overcomes. A worthwhile and inspiring read.

Wonderful insight into the life and struggles of a refugee child, his relationship to the parents who had to send him on alone to a new land, and his thoughts on both Cuba and the US. Very personal and open.

Great Book - very readable. Since Mr. Vidal is our interim Mayor and attended the same high school, albeit 10 years later, I could really relate to his description of our local area and life in general in Denver. It was an eye opening story about national events that were occurring during my youth and the immense impact on Cuba immigrants - something of which I was totally unaware. I congratulate him for his courage to record some very painful memories.

Not many stories of Cuba can be told first hand by a child. This is just one person's experience that was shared by so many. These "kids" turned out pretty well even with the challenges they faced. Good book.

Gillermo Vidal's book stirred long forgotten emotions that brought happiness to my heart looking back when I immigrated with my parents and two sisters from Havana in January of 1961. I think everyone that reads "Boxing for Cuba" would learn why so many immigrants succeed in tough times and enjoy to the fruits of the American Dream.

"Boxing for Cuba" was an interesting story about Cuban immigrants from the Castro takeover. The story of the Peter Pan children was particularly interesting as I had never heard about it before. I also liked his description of returning to Cuba many years later. Gave me a new perspective about Cuban immigrants. My book club enjoyed the book and it gave us lots to talk about.

Bill Vidal's portrait of pre-Castro Cuba compellingly reveals how the regime change of 60 years ago affected both his family and the island's other well-to-do residents. Initially supportive of the new government, his father lost both his property and his livelihood, resulting in a decision by him and his wife to send their three boys to the U.S. on one of the so-called Peter Pan flights, along with 14,000 other Cuban children. Despite their parents' very dysfunctional relationship, life without family and homeland proved an almost overwhelming challenge. Instead of the promised foster home, the children ended up in the startlingly abusive environment of a Catholic orphanage in Pueblo, Colorado, until their parents were able to rescue them and once again establish a home. Readers will empathize strongly with the efforts of the boys' father to reestablish himself in an alien environment, and with their mother, who finally leaves the family to be near family in Miami. Bill's eventual success as Deputy Mayor and Manager of Public Works for the City and County of Denver offers hope and inspiration. The rapprochement between Bill and his complicated parents before their deaths is a poignant testimony to the power of family and the character of the man. Reminiscent of Carlos Eire's moving memoir, "Waiting for Snow in Havana," Vidal's book is more gritty, more personal, more frank, more open.

I know the author. Very large gaps in life story, but the main part was the Operation Pedro Pan. Very interesting

What a brave man, Guillermo Vincente Vidal (a/k/a "Bill") is for putting his life into words for all the world to experience! Boxing for Cuba is one of those books that really makes you "feel". You can't help but feel Bill's joy, his pain, his sadness and loneliness, his excitement, his fear and above all, his love for his family and his heritage. Boxing for Cuba is one of those rare finds that once you start, you simply can't put it down and even after you've devoured the final page you're left longing for more.