Breathe: Stories from Cuba

by Leila Segal

Breathe is a collection that explores the heart of Fidel Castro-era Cuba; an outsider's look that is balanced by a weight of empathy to illuminate truths that lie couched between the island's propaganda and the Western media's portrayal. Characters from Europe and the USA in Swimming, Taxi and Sabbatical seem to want to hold on to the indulgences that their countries offer them, while praising Cubans for the more abstemious lives they lead and seeking to sample what the locals experience; in Siempre Luchando, I Never See Them Cry and The Party, romantic liaisons strengthen or buckle under the strain of the minute exploitations that result from the assumptions one makes about the other; the seedy sexual aggression of Luca's Trip to Havana is undercut by the subtle yet intense lust of Breathe; while Leaving Cuba, with its closing image of Havana's night sky, is as eloquently balanced a tale of the lives of everyday Cubans as you will read in a long while - whichever path one takes, something is lost. As Aida Bahr, winner of Cuba's Premio de la Critica Literaria says, "relying more on subtleties than on drama, [Segal] portrays the tensions and struggles, but also the joy and warmth, that fill Cubans' lives."

132 pages, Paperback

Published January 21, 2016

About the author

Leila Segal was born in London. 'Breathe' is her debut collection and originates in the time she spent living in Havana and the Pinar del Rio province of Cuba. Her short stories have been published in 'Wasafiri', 'Ink, Sweat and Tears', 'Loose Muse', 'Mima'amakim' and 'Papeles de la Mancuspia'. Leila uses writing and photography in community advocacy projects. She reads her work regularly in London.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breathe: Stories from Cuba is a collection of short stories about tourists visiting Cuba and failing to understand Cuban culture and society. When borrowing it from the library I thought the author was Cuban. That turned out not to be the case, as Segal lived in Havana for a time but is not Cuban. Nonetheless, the stories describe the unique gap between Western visitors and Cubans with delicacy. Tourist misunderstandings of Cuban socialism and social norms run through the collection.

While undoubtedly well-observed, the stories are uniformly depressing. The main theme is that visitors romanticise the deprivation and oppression of the Cuban regime, which breeds resentment. Points of view vary between visitors and Cubans between stories, but all deal with culture shock of some kind. I was hoping the collection might give me some insight into Cuba, as I think the only other fiction from there that I've read is Super Extra Grande. I think they did to some extent, via brief snapshots full of vivid details.

[Tripfiction]

“A beautifully observed collection of short stories. Breathe takes the reader beyond the artificial glamour of guidebook Cuba to paint a real and uncompromising portrait of modern day Cuba”

Cuba is on the cusp of significant change. A country, that has remained in a quaint time warp, is about to hit the 21st century with a bang. President Obama has visited, The Rolling Stones have played Havana. Unimaginable until now. So we are bringing together a couple of featured reads for those who want to embrace the country as it is now before it is “all change”.

Our featured read is Leila Segal’s Breathe, set fairly contemporaneously on the island, short stories, bound together in a book of around 125 pages. It is the Cuba of peeling paint, downbeat lifestyles contrasted against the lives of foreigners. Yet, it is not an altogether depressing read, it is about observing humans interactions and, whatever the circumstances, there is a resolute determination to find some positives. It is the general quest for “a decent life”

“Officially you are not allowed to trade, but in Cuba everyone has to ‘resolver*’ (*get by)”. Internet has not been allowed in homes, so the Cubans have to tether when they can. Deprivation is a de facto part of life. There is a very deep sense that Havana is gearing up for the onslaught of more tourists, as she describes the colonial house renovations, and the sharp eyes of the people looking to make a quick buck. Detailing food from the Mamey (a sweet-tasting avocado) to melange (a soapy tasting potato), the author escorts you though the streets with an eye that is full of curiosity. Enjoy this vicarious “trip” to Cuba!

The impact of the cover for a book is something that we have picked up before (check out our post entitled “Are we being seduced by the covers?” This book cover in no way does justice to the content.
Short Stories set in CUBA

This review first appeared on our website: http://www.tripfiction.com/short-stor...

The paperback book was on my desk for several days and innumerable people picked it up and variously said “What, are you doing – self help now?”… to …”Are you reading the Karma Sutra?” At first glance it could be either. If you just glance at the people at the bottom of the cover, they look as though they are perhaps engaged in an intimate act. On closer inspection, creepily, it transpires that one is an adult and the other a child. The background design is the Cuban flag, so that feels relevant (but the Cuban flag is actually bright red/blue/white – I was driven to check). But I cannot overall understand the thinking of choosing these durgy colours – they may be redolent of the wash on many buildings in Cuba, but they do not work on a cover. Red on ochre isn’t great either, you have to scrutinise the author’s name.

The cover attracts the reader’s gaze, it HAS to be engaging, hopefully to garner a purchase. This cover might sadly only encourage people to move on and that will be a real miss. Buy it anyway!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathe : short stories from Cuba is an elegantly written collection of nine short stories, told from the perspective of tourists and outsiders about Cuba and its people. Like most people, when I think of Cuba, I imagine Havana with its colourful buildings and ancient cars, I think of cigars and I remember Castro. My impressions of Cuba have been formed by what I've seen via the media. Leila Segal's story collection gives the reader the gift of seeing life in this vibrant, yet troubled country from the inside.

The stories are set between 2000 and 2004, not long before the the end of Castro's long reign as President, and its people are poverty stricken and food is short. Despite these hardships, it is clear from Segal's writing that there is joy and warmth and love to be found amongst the hardships.

The writing is clear and direct, but has a poetic quality and each story is like a tiny painting, giving a glimpse into the often hidden and misunderstood lives led by the Cubans.

I often struggle to contact with short stories, usually preferring a full-length novel that enables me to get to know the characters and the locations in more detail, yet I didn't feel that way about this collection at all. These stories, whilst short, are full of detail that instantly make the reader feel at home, and each one is a satisfying peek into places that are rarely written about.

Leila Segal's passion for this intriguing country shine through in her writing, her intimate knowledge of the West of the island is obvious, and she effortlessly packages up the smells and the sounds, and the heat and throw them out to be caught by her readers.

I enjoyed reading this collection, I enjoyed getting to know more about the hidden parts of Cuba, the collection is beautifully written, informing and satisfying.

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[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned a lot about the lesser known part of Cuban life experiences by citizens of the country from the noughties and before this time through these short stories. It’s told from a foreigner’s perspective and yet it still highlights the inequality and lack of freedom that exists for its people despite the good, the qualities it lures tourists and others to explore.

[Carolinemawer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Especially insightful for expat / outsider view of Cuban life
Very sensual - in terms of getting smell, feel, lusciousness of Cuba over!
Thanks to Leila Segal - I'm looking forward to reading more

[Nats · Rating 5 out of 5]

As it says in the blurb Breathe is a collection of short stories set in Cuba between 2000 and 2004 by Leila Segal.

Breathe is a book perfect to read in one sitting or split up in several sittings depending on your mood. One short story is a perfect companion for your coffee break

I have not read many short stories collections over the past couple of years. To be honest like a few other bloggers and reviewers I prefer to get stuck into a full length book where I get to know all the characters their back grounds, locations and what makes them tick. But having said that I really enjoyed this collection they were detailed and thought provoking and did not leave me wanting more apart from Leila Segal’s next book.

I also loved reading about Cuba and in fact I have now passed my book to a work colleague who is visiting Cuba for 3 weeks next week I am sure she will love and also leave a glowing review

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting anthology of fictional short stories written by Leila Segal, a British writer who lived in Cuba from 2000-2004. The book is an eye-opener because all the stories are from the point of view of a foreigner. Most of the stories convey a lot of non-fiction in portraying the reality of life and the discontent of the characters who don't agree with the system instituted after the Revolution.

The stories are filled with the deplorable conditions the characters live in and the never-ending lack of the most simple things that foreigners visiting the island take for granted in their country. I found Ms. Segal's characters debunked the myth that surrounds life in Cuba by showing us a candid, no-holds-barred raw reality of how the island's population "makes do" by finding ways around the interminable restrictions they're subject to in their lives.

The characters in the story are well drawn with realistic dialogue for they clearly portray the struggles and frustrations of those that have remained behind. As a native Cuban who's been living in the United States for the past 60 years, I can understand their plight and their thirst for freedom, which has been absent in that island for the past 62 years.

[S.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not so much short stories, more a collection of encounters. Highlighting the contrast between foreigners and locals of Cuba. The richness of tourist areas and the poverty, struggles, and passions of Cubans.