Llueve Sobre La Habana

by Julio Travieso Serrano

Dinero para La Habana, by internationally acclaimed Cuban author Julio Travieso Serrano, presents ten short stories about the so called “The Special Period in Time of Peace” that affected the Cuban society after 1989 when the Soviet Union was dissolved and the island lost its main economic support. Julio Travieso takes the reader on a trip to the other side of economics, the human condition, in a time of crises. He shows us how this transitional period affected the life of a nation. Dinero para La Habana, del aclamado autor Julio Travieso Serrano, presenta diez cuentos basados en el llamado “Periodo Especial” que afectó a la sociedad cubana después de 1989 cuando la Unión Soviética se disolvió y la isla perdió su principal soporte económico. Julio Travieso lleva al lector en un viaje al otro lado de las políticas económicas, la condición humana, en tiempo de crisis. Así, nos muestra cómo este periodo de transición afectó la vida de una nación.

311 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Karen López · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. I bought this book at the International Book Fair of Havana and I honestly wasn't expecting much since it's the first Cuban book I've ever read but WOW. I loved it. It depicts the Cuban society in a way that makes you doubt if it was truly written in 1995 or if it was written in 2024 because Cuba has not changed in many (almost all) aspects. And as a Cuban, it is kinda sad to read that. But yeah, 4.5✨️. Definitely recommend it.

[Ramón Jiménez · Rating 2 out of 5]

Historia bonita pero con un final pobre. El estilo complica la lectura y no me ha ilusionado el erotismo con el que el autor ve todo.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although fictional this book provides an excellent portrayal of the dreary lives that Cubans had to live during the Special Period (1990s) following the collapse of the Soviet Union, upon whom Cuba depended heavily.

Travieso Serrano mixes a realist evocation of some of the tough choices that many Cubans had to make and offers some insight into the realities of daily life at the time.

I live in Cuba and I will be using this book for the class I teach to American students. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn a bit more about Cuba.