Customer Reviews

The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera: A Novel

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

it was so refreshing to find a book you could not put down. after reading all the best sellers out there and yawning after every page, i was lucky to find this one on my own on a flight to atlanta. what a talented artist this guy is!

This book is written in a simple and eloquent style and succeeds at conveying the horror and courage of the Cuban raft experience. It's written in the style of "The Old Man and the Sea" and should appeal to readers of all ages. Quite a triumph for the author, if he himself made a journey like this (it seems that he must have, given the knowing detail).

I am one of those people who hate reading. The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera was assigned to me for summer reading. After reading this book I have a new appreciation for books and literature. This is definatly an excellent book.

It's not often a first time novel can make an English teacher cry, but the beautiful simplicity of this writing conveys the spirit and price of freedom most poignantly. A few moments of implausibility, but overall an excellent effort. An eye opening experience! R. Prozzo

This exciting book contains one of the best-written sea adventures I've read. The political ordeal of the protagonist does not eclipse the emotional life of the well-profiled characters. The beautifully translated prose compares to Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea.
Worth reading, a brief book (174 pp.) that makes you want to recommend it to others.
Reviewed by F. R. Wertz

The lyrical prose made this story heartwarming and helped me to understand the plight of the Cubans. I felt an affinity with the Cubans both in Cuba and the Cuban-Americans. This novel help me to understand the pain and brokeness of the Cuban-Americans and the loyalities to their fellow countrymen still in Cuba. It help me to empathize with the desire for some to return to rebuilt Cuba if feasible in the future.

This novel forces one to take a hard look at oneself and the true meaning of courage. I am happy that his quest for freedom was a mission accomplished by faith, strength and determination. A heartwarming, moving, compelling and tragic story.

This book gets inside the heads of 3 men who are willing to risk it all for a chance to be free. The courage and determination of the characters is breathtaking. The point of view shifts allow the reader to fully understand where each character is coming from.

Read this book for class and was kind of bored by it. What I did like was the little bits of Cuban culture it brought in. If all Cubans in America had to go through similar journeys you can see why the Cuban lobby is so powerful in the US gov. Kind of cheesy at times but what ever. Read it.

I read this book in a day, but I stayed up late to finish it. Set about 1990, it is the story of a man's journey from Havana to Miami on an inner tube. The story is descriptive and informative. I stopped a few times to google certain words or ideas to get a better idea of the subject. If I have a complaint, it would be that the book is too narrow. I wish the author would've expanded his writing to paint a broader picture, make things clearer for me. Maybe he'll write it again in Julia Alvarez fashion. Good to read; I'm giving it to my teenaged son, next.