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The Red Umbrella

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Lucia Alvarez wants what any fourteen year old girl wants--

to spend time talking about boys with her best friend Ivette, to go to the movies and dances, and to avoid babysitting her annoying younger brother Frankie. It's just that her parents are so old-fashioned. Can't they see Lucia is old enough for a little independence?

When soldiers from Castro's Revolution arrive in Lucia's small town, her life becomes more oppressive, not less. Freedoms and friends disappear overnight. Finally her parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send Frankie and Lucia to the U.S. Alone.

The Red Umbrella, set in Cuba during 1961, by debut author Christina Gonzalez brings a culture and its past to life with this story of two children who were part of Operation Pedro Pan. It is, in fact, a personal family story for Ms. Gonzalez as both of her parents were part of the exodus of 14,000 unaccompanied minors who were sent to the U.S. in the early 60's to escape Castro's regime. The story of Lucia and Frankie Alvarez is a part of history that's generally not well known. The Red Umbrella deals with their upheaval with warmth, pathos and sometimes heart-breaking sadness.

-- Reviewed by Michelle Delisle

From the moment I started reading The Red Umbrella, I could not put it down! Somehow, Christina Diaz Gonzalez manages to weave intense dramatic scenes with bits of humor (at times, you can't help but laugh and cry simultaneously!). You will be captivated by the author's wonderful descriptions of the characters and beautiful way of making you feel like you instantly know and care about them. "Living through" the revolution through the eyes of the young Lucia truly takes you on a journey from the carefree innocence of childhood to the increasingly complicated life of a young woman who has been forced to deal with more adult situations than any teenager should have to go through. So thankful to the author for bringing this very real part of American and Cuban history to life!

14-year-old Lucia Alvarez's life is turned upside down when Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba in 1960. Suddenly her best friend is a propaganda-spewing stranger, soldiers brutally kill her father's business acquaintances, and her parents are being closely watched. Lucia just wants to be an average teenage girl, hanging out with her friends, keeping up with the latest American fashions, and maybe even getting closer to her crush, but that can no longer be.

Then Lucia and her younger brother, Frankie, receive visas to go live with a temporary foster family in Nebraska. The culture shock is great and frightening; can Lucia manage a new language and culture, growing into a young lady in the meantime, when the fate of her parents and her beloved Cuba are so uncertain?

I have never read a novel like Christina Gonzalez's debut, THE RED UMBRELLA. This is a necessary story about an aspect of Cuban American history that has not received enough attention in YA literature--and best of all, it's extremely well written and engaging!

Gonzalez writes convincingly of all her characters. Lucia is partly your average teenager, desiring friendship, love, acceptance, and pretty things. Her parents are a believable blend of loving, strict, and worried, and Frankie is a cute and appropriately occasionally annoying younger brother. The way the story follows Lucia through this difficult time in her life, however, is a miraculous achievement: my heart ached as I read about the difficulties she faced, and I saw a distinct, yet subtle, growth in her as she realizes the extent to which Castro's takeover would affect her life.

The pacing and plot were a little uneven, though, and thus not as fulfilling as it could've been. The first two-thirds of the book takes place within a few fast and furious months in Cuba, as the revolution starts taking over Cubans' lives. This part of the book is great, as we see Lucia and her family struggling to remain true to themselves in the face of so much propaganda and pressure. However, when Lucia and Frankie spend time with the elderly white couple in Nebraska while they await news of their parents, time sees to stop and go in choppy bits, covering more than half a year in just a few dozen pages. As a result, I felt that Lucia's adjustment to American life and subsequent maturation were rushed, and that the characters in this section of the book were underdeveloped.

Pacing aside, this was a fantastic read, great for everyone. The Alvarezes are a family to cheer for throughout the whole story. Never before have I seen this aspect of Cuban American history discussed in such an approachable and sympathetic manner. I am thankful for this book, hope others will strongly consider reading it when it comes out, and definitely look forward to anything Christina has next for us!

I do not read fiction.

I read this book because it's about a moment in history of which I was a part of.

I was a "Pedro Pan" child.

I was fortunate enough to have my aunt, uncle and two cousins waiting for me at Miami International Airport the night I arrived from Cuba in 1961. I was seven years old. My mother and twelve year-old sister arrived the next day. We were very lucky to all have been reunited after one day. Many children weren't. Some never saw their parents again.

This easy reading, fictional true to life story taking place after Fidel Castro's revolution in 1959 is very well written. You get to know and love the characters and how the revolution gripped the country and changed their lives, for the worst. Their problems are real, just as they were when my mother was deciding whether she should send me out of Cuba, not knowing if she would see me again and then leaving her home, family and literally her life behind in a span of two days (not knowing if the "underground" plans would change at the last minute).

I have to admit I cried while reading this book because it brought back memories of small events and things I had completely forgotten about (example, my family in Miami waiting for hours or days to get a telephone connection to Cuba) that came back to me. Schoolmates that wore Cuban revolutionary clothes, in the PRIVATE school I attended (CIMA).

At one point I wanted to get one of those outfits. I thought it was "cool". My mother was adamantly opposed to it. I was upset, but now I understand. No different from a child wanting a Hitler Youth outfit in 1940s Germany if the parents opposed the Third Reich.

Beautifully written, this book should be welcomed at any public or private school library. Nothing objectionable, excellent fun and educational reading for both girls, boys and adults.

The "red" umbrella is very meaningful in this story. You too will cry.

I highly recommended it.

I'm looking forward to Christina's next book.

This is the story of Lucía - she's 14 years old when her seaside town begins to feel the changes that a young man named Fidel Castro with a vision of a revolution have on her country. When the revolution first started, life didn't change much for Lucía - she still read the gossip magazines with her BFF Ivette - whiling their days away worrying about nail polish colors and whether a cute boy was interested in them or not - or she'd spend her afternoons lazing around the beach with her younger brother Frankie. But she starts noticing changes - for one her parents are acting tense, having private heated discussions, soon a neighbor then her father's co-worker goes missing and most of her young friends begin joining revolutionary groups. Before things get completely out of control her parents decide that she and Frankie must leave their country and live with a foster family in the U.S.

Imagine leaving everything and everyone you've known your whole life and coming to a strange country where you not only can't speak the language but have to rely on strangers to take you in, feed you, clothe you, support you. This is Lucía's story.

This story really touched my heart. My mother was Lucía's same age when she left Cuba - thanks to my grandparents' quick thinking - they decided not to wait it out to see what would happen to their precious Cuba after Castro's revolution and instead got on the first plane that would get them out of there. They were the only one's in their family to do that - meaning they left parents, siblings, cousins, etc. behind. And for many years after that they were not able to visit, communications were difficult (telephone calls were monitored or timed to a few short minutes) and mailing a letter was a joke (75% of the time it just didn't get there). So, in a way, Lucía's story is one that I definitely relate to.

Ms. Diaz Gonzalez's writing was so vivid you could almost see the vibrant colors, smell the food and tropical breeze. As happy as you feel because of her vivid descriptions of Cuban life, you also get a chill when you realize how dire Lucía and her family's situation really is. You can't trust anyone - not your friends, nor neighbors, not even family members. Her parents are left with no recourse but to send her and Frankie away.

I loved how each chapter started with a snippet from U.S. newspapers and their take on Cuba, Castro and the revolution. It really gave you a true sense of what was going on when you read the newspaper clipping and then delved into Lucía's current situation. Ms. Gonzalez-Diaz based this story on the experiences of her parents and other Cuban children who came to the U.S. in the program known as Operation Pedro Pan.

This tale is one that still affects the lives of Cubans and Cuban exiles today. Living in Miami, you still hear the stories and there are still many who have not been able to reunite with the families they left behind (my family included). This is a tribute to the courage these children showed and to those parents that were able to let go of them in a time of great uncertainty and upheaval.

I think this is a part of Cuban American history that is not covered enough - especially not in YA. A very good read for young and old alike. I can't recommend this enough.

The Red Umbrella is a story common to many Cuban-Americans whose youth was truncated by Castro's revolution. As Lucia and her brother, many who left suffered the pain of separation from family, friends and country and those who stayed, and were against the regime, endure loss of liberty, ridicule and prosecution to this day. The book does an excellent job illustrating how this came about through the eyes of Lucia, a 14-year-old girl, who with her brother, was sent to the U.S. by their parents to save them from the evils of Castro's regime.

Although the first part of the book brought back many painful memories, it warmed my heart to see that Christina Diaz Gonzalez embodied in the Baxters the great generosity of many Americans, who are willing to unselfishly reach to those in need with a helping hand. The Baxters from Nebraska, not only provided love and support for Lucia and her brother, but gently helped them acclimate to life in the United States.

This story ends with the reunion of this family, but not in Cuba, as many who sent their children to the U.S. expected would happen, but here in the U.S.

I recommend this book to anyone who wonders what is it like to live in a communist country or for anyone who takes freedom for granted. The book is ideally suited for young readers, as they will be able to identify with the main characters and still learn the important lessons.

This was a great read!

This was great!!! It was a wonderful look at the early days of Castro's revolution and Cuban and American relations in 1961. The story is told from a 14 year old girl's point of view, Lucia.

Lucia has normal 14 year old growing pains. She likes boys, wants to wear make up, is irritated by her younger brother, Frankie, but instead of having a normal teenager's life, Cuba, her country and home, goes into turmoil. When Castro and his revolutionary followers take over the government, not only is there soldiers everywhere, but also people being branded as traitors to the revolution. Unfortuneately, because her parents believe it's ok to have a different opinion from Castro, Lucia's family is branded as traitors. To save her, Lucia's parents send both her and her brother to the United States.

Lucia and Frankie go to live with a foster family in Nebraska until her parents can join them or the revolution ends. Lucia must learn a new language, eat new foods, and make new friends. She adjusts rather well, but all the time she worries about her mother and father back in Cuba and wonders if she will ever see them again because the revolution doesn't seem to be ending and American/Cuban relations are getting very tense...

The first half of the book takes place in Cuba and offers an amazing look into life in Cuba during Castro's early days and the fear or fanaticism some people felt. The second half of the book is about Lucia adjusting to American life and presents an idea of what it was like to be a Latina immigrant in 1961.

Superb. The ending brought tears to my eyes. I really connected to Lucia. This is a book I will read again.

Books like this are the ones that make you really appreciate the fact that you're an American. Even though people like to complain about how many things are wrong in this country, we do still have freedom...we do still have the power and the opportunity to make our children's lives better than our own.

In this fantastic story, the author has given us a look into her own past. Her parents were a part of Operation Pedro Pan in the 1960's, which was a U.S. plan that helped bring Cubans into America during Castro's communist revolution that sacrificed and destroyed so many hard-working families.

In this novel we meet Frankie and Lucy; siblings who are hanging out at the beach near their home in Puerto Mijares. Their lives are seemingly very simple and carefree, as they play in the waves and watch the beautiful herons soar through the clouds above. On this particular day, a loud noise appears, and the kids see the long line of army vehicles descending on their small town. Lucy, of course, isn't really too upset, seeing as that nothing ever happens in her small town. In fact, she and her friends feel as if they're a million miles away from anything to do with the so-called revolution that so many are up in arms about.

Soon the kids go home and enter an eerily dark house where Mom and Dad are huddled together at the kitchen table listening to the news on the radio. Strangely for Lucy, her parents seem to be quite upset with the news, and order her and her brother to stay inside the home until things "calm down" in the world around them. School has also been closed, and Lucy's friends seem to be all engrossed in various social organizations and going to "meetings" that her own parents are forbidding her to join. As the world begins to turn upside down, Frankie and Lucy come across a few soldiers in back of the high school...shooting and killing their father's boss from work. Another incident that scares Lucy to her very core is when she walks into town one day to pick up medicine for her brother and sees the local Doc hanging from a tree. People who were once friends become enemies, and families turn against their own, as their beliefs become immersed in the communist revolution that Castro is forcing on his people.

Desperately, her parents try to get them out of Cuba before it's too late, and end up getting them on a plane to the United States. Lucy and Frankie are offered beds in a facility in Miami, but are soon sent to live with the Baxter's in Nebraska. The Baxters' are a wonderful couple, filled with love for the two children, and soon Frankie and Lucy find their lives changed for the better. The only thing missing? They want nothing more than to see their Mom and Dad again, and the fear of their parents being stuck behind in that horrible country scares Lucy to her very core.

The title of this story comes from a wonderful item that Lucy and Frankie's mother carried with her. Although red was called the color of the revolution, their mother's umbrella was red because she believed that color was the color of strength in a world where she needed to be strong more than anything else. The kids saw this red "spot" when they looked down through the windows of the plane that was transporting them away from the only home they'd ever known. That one red "spot" in the crowd of parents giving up their children, stuck with Lucy and Frankie, and made them believe that their family - no matter what happened - would somehow find a way to be together again.

My conclusion is this...life is extremely hard sometimes, but one can only imagine the horrific difficulties, pain, and agony that good people had to go through when Castro wielded his mighty power over their heads. Readers will not only feel for Lucy and her brother, but the story will also show in no uncertain terms that being a teenager may be difficult, but not nearly as difficult as being a teenager during the 1960's, and fleeing your homeland in order to stay alive. This story will make all YA readers extremely grateful for their "everyday" problems and triumphs.

Amy Lignor, [...] Reviewer

I read the book in one day, the fictional novel provided a very interesting and realistic backdrop for what really took place in Cuba when Castro came to power and started to exert his authority. The character Lucia is the well developed protagonist, some of the other characters, with the exception of her best friend Ivette, are somewhat one-dimensional or stereotypical.

The book is written for children ages 10 and up, however, there are "thematic elements" and mature subject matter in this book which the average 10 year old might not be ready for, the rape of Ivette by a soldier boy, Lucia's first kiss and subsequent make-out attempt of her would-be boyfriend, lying, bribing, a jab at the "bitch" word for humor of the Spanish mispronunciation of beach. For adults or older teens, this material can be more easily sorted through, but even for some 13 year olds, it might need some parental guidance while reading the book. I wouldn't recommend it for children younger than 15. It is good for girls to know that what to them is a little romantic jaunt or experiment with kissing can go sour with aggressive boys, and also, that all of this is an accurate part of what went on in Cuba and other parts of the world, rape by a soldier, etc.

The book is pretty interesting in the first half, while in Cuba, like a spy novel, each chapter has a heading with a dated headline of Castro's historical activity. The author's family was part of the Cuban Pedro Pan mission, so it is more than a researched story, it is part of the soul of the author, making it very authentic. Also, it mixes quite a number of Spanish words in the story, which makes it good for anyone who is studying Spanish.

When the book hits Nebraska, where the children are sent, it drifts into teenage squabbling and teenage name-calling, which is a little bit stereotypical, as in, from teen TV programs. But, because that only dominates a few chapters, its doable.

In any case, I read the book in one day because it was interesting and added to my understanding of the history of Cubans in the US and Castro's early campaign. Worth reading for adults or older teens.

So many aspects of The Red Umbrella appealed to me. I love the fact that it is historical fiction, in a time and place I can only assume most teens don't know much about (I'm making that assumption based on the fact that I personally don't know much about the Communist Revolution in Cuba). I love the fact that Lucia is an incredibly likable character - to say I fell in love with her instantly would be an understatement. She is smart but naive, resourceful yet not knowledgeable about her new life, protective of her brother yet seeking to be taken care of herself. In other words, a perfectly normal teen thrown into an unbelievably difficult, scary situation. I love how close Lucy's family is, and how her parents do the unthinkable to keep their kids safe - what parent wants to send their kids away to a place they know nothing about, to be cared for by complete strangers? And I also love the fact that I read the entire book in one sitting - I literally could not put the thing down! This book is fabulous for so many reasons, and I very highly recommend it.