Paradise

by Elena Castedo

In this ingenious satire, Solita, the not quite ten-year-old daughter of refugees from Franco’s Spain, is whisked from the urban ghetto of Galmeda to El Topaz, the lush hacienda of a wealthy eccentric, which her mother assures her will be paradise. But behind its beautiful façade, El Topaz is a quagmire of social subterfuge, from its politicking adults to its spiteful children, and Solita finds herself alone in a glittery world where “you couldn’t trust anything. Or anybody. You had to navigate completely on your own.”

Genres: Fiction, Literature

328 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 1990

Reviews

[Aileen]

I wanted to give this book a three because the setting and subject matter were intriguing. However, the book was ostensibly told from the first person but Castedo more often used third person to provide the vivid descriptions. I found myself skimming this book after a while. However, I enjoyed the historical aspect, the snobbery among children, class differences and immigrants with a variet yof political causes. This book had strong potential, but fell flat.

[Diane Stanley]

Children want to be grownups. However, being a grownup isn’t always easy. There are political pressures. There are social pressures. There is the immigrant issue. Money and class certainly figures in. At times I was frustrated that the narrator was a child and her information was limited because of her age and position. Being well behaved doesn’t give any power to Solita.. The ending is a surprise to her and us.

[A. Piña]

should have had more violence from her part, i would have killed all of them

[Nancy]

Castedo does a great job in developing her protagonist,10 yr-old Solita who is from the ghetto and finds herself transported to a luxurious hacienda of wealthy adults and spoiled children. Her innocent view of her surroundings is both charming and funny. This book was nominated for a National Book Award in 1990.

[Castedo]

A touching and funny award-winning novel about a family of European refugees, vividly shows a world unknown to American readers; the rich, the poor and the in-between in Latin-America in the 40s and 50s.

[Elizabeth McQuillan]

My wonderful neighbor, Elena! Fascinating layers. No wonder the details are described so perfectly from a child's perspective--they are her own memories.