Cuba--Going Back [Paperback]

Tony Mendoza (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1999

Imagine being unable to return to your homeland for thirty-six years. What would you do if you finally got a chance to go back? In 1996, after travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba were relaxed, Cuban exile Tony Mendoza answered that question. Taking his cameras, notebooks, and an unquenchable curiosity, he returned for his first visit to Cuba since the summer of 1960, when he emigrated with his family at age eighteen. In this book he presents over eighty evocative photographs accompanied by a beautifully written text that mingles the voices of many Cubans with his own to offer a compelling portrait of a resilient people awaiting the inevitable passing of the socialist system that has failed them. His photographs and interviews bear striking witness to the hardships and inequalities that exist in this workers' "paradise," where the daily struggle to make ends meet on an average income of eight dollars a month has created a longing for change even in formerly ardent revolutionaries. At the same time, Cuba--Going Back is an eloquent record of a personal journey back in time and memory that will resonate with viewers and readers both within and beyond the Cuban American community. It belongs on the shelves of anyone who values excellent photography and well-crafted prose.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In 1996 after a 36-year absence, Mendoza--a photographer by trade--returned to his native Cuba. This book, based on the photos and interviews he conducted on his trip, is a remarkable first-hand account of today's Cuba. Burdened both by the loss of Soviet aid and the American embargo, he concludes, Cuba is a testimony to the failure of Castro's socialism. He reports that he encountered very few Castro supporters and found numerous Cubans willing to speak out against the failed social experiment. He often heard them say "Fidel is no economist"--something he reflects upon through the lens of his camera. Like others, Mendoza decides that Cubans would be better off if the United States did not push so hard for an end to Castro and left him alone to deal with failure. Similar to Andrei Codrescu's Ay, Cuba! (LJ 3/1/99), this volume is best summarized in a series of photos of a Havana park bench. In each succeeding photo, the bench, much like Cuba, is dismantled by time and the very people its aims to please. Highly recommended for most libraries.
-Boyd Childress, Auburn Univ.Lib., AL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"As with all of Tony Mendoza's work, this book has great depth and layers of poignancy ... tragic undertones of a paradise lost ... and yet we hold onto the dream of illumination." --Andy Garcia

Product Details

• Paperback: 155 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292752334
• ISBN-13: 978-0292752337
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,434 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Travel > Caribbean > Cuba
  • #27 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Criticism & Essays
  • #58 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Travel

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars REDISCOVERING LONG LOST MEMORIES, June 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Cuba--Going Back (Paperback)

I,too,like Mr. Mendoza, was forced to leave Havana, Cuba, as a child because of my familys' political beliefs towards Castro. I was a child of 9 in 1967, when my parents and I uprooted ourselves from our beloved land because we had been politically betrayed by someone that a whole generation felt was to be their "savior" from the dictatorial regime of Batista. In the last few years I have started to rediscover my roots. I found this book extremely educating as to what to expect to see there, if you plan to "go home for a visit". It has convinced me that I must go home again even though it won't be the same as I remember as a child. This an easy to read book, with compelling sepia tinted pictures of scenes and people Mr. Mendoza came across throuhgout his travels. I highly recommend this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tony Mendoza's Cuba-Going Back, December 20, 1999

By 

Hervin (Coral Gables) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuba--Going Back (Hardcover)

The narrative flows smoothly from this consumate storyteller, both wise and candid, with a gimlet eye for the telling detail as well as vision for the panorama. He also has the ear to perceive and apprehend meaning and nuance, sound and music. The photography is so good that one would like to see the whole from which he culled this select offering. But above and beyond all of this he gives us a significant human experience, distinctly his own and yet meaningful for all.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wanting to Go Back, January 21, 2001

By 

Julio Lago (Houston, TX, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cuba--Going Back (Paperback)

Like Tony I am a cuban american who left Cuba in the early 60s for political freedom to study in the States. I came from a successful middle class family and a history of political successes and upheaval. I have always wanted to go back to re-live my youth in Havana, Tarara y Santa Maria del Mar (like Tony in Varadero) where I spent the happiest time of my youth. I have known of the misery of our people because I kept in touch, however Tony has been able to portray that misery in his wonderful black and white pictures. His writtings and dialogues are very easy to read but with a real message for everyone to understand. This is a great book for those who will like an honest and unbias portray of the cuban situation today. Tony has let these people speak out their feelings (pro and against) for the world to judge. I envy Tony for having the opportunity to return. His book has made me very sad because we are limited in our ability to help them. I cried for the younger generation unable to better themselves. Only the beauty of our land and sea remains untouched. Someday our people will be free again to make their choices and Cuba will be a wonderful place to visit. I promised myself to be in the first plane to help rebuild it.