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The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times
"[DePalma] renders a Cuba few tourists will ever see . . . You won't forget these people soon, and you are bound to emerge from DePalma's bighearted account with a deeper understanding of a storied island . . . A remarkably revealing glimpse into the world of a muzzled yet irrepressibly ebullient neighbor."-- The New York Times
Modern Cuba comes alive in a vibrant portrait of a group of families's varied journeys in one community over the last twenty years.
Cubans today, most of whom have lived their entire lives under the Castro regime, are hesitantly embracing the future. In his new book, Anthony DePalma, a veteran reporter with years of experience in Cuba, focuses on a neighborhood across the harbor from Old Havana to dramatize the optimism as well as the enormous challenges that Cubans a moving snapshot of Cuba with all its contradictions as the new regime opens the gate to the capitalism that Fidel railed against for so long.
In Guanabacoa, longtime residents prove enterprising in the extreme. Scrounging materials in the black market, Cary Luisa Limonta Ewen has started her own small manufacturing business, a surprising turn for a former ranking member of the Communist Party. Her good friend Lili, a loyal Communist, heads the neighborhood's watchdog revolutionary committee. Artist Arturo Montoto, who had long lived and worked in Mexico, moved back to Cuba when he saw improving conditions but complains like any artist about recognition. In stark contrast, Jorge García lives in Miami and continues to seek justice for the sinking of a tugboat full of refugees, a tragedy that claimed the lives of his son, grandson, and twelve other family members, a massacre for which the government denies any role. In The Cubans , many patriots face one new is their loyalty to the revolution, or to their country?
As people try to navigate their new reality, Cuba has become an improvised country, an old machine kept running with equal measures of ingenuity and desperation. A new kind of revolutionary spirit thrives beneath the conformity of a half century of totalitarian rule. And over all of this looms the United States, with its unpredictable policies, which warmed towards its neighbor under one administration but whose policies have now taken on a chill reminiscent of the Cold War.
Modern Cuba comes alive in a vibrant portrait of a group of families's varied journeys in one community over the last twenty years.
Cubans today, most of whom have lived their entire lives under the Castro regime, are hesitantly embracing the future. In his new book, Anthony DePalma, a veteran reporter with years of experience in Cuba, focuses on a neighborhood across the harbor from Old Havana to dramatize the optimism as well as the enormous challenges that Cubans a moving snapshot of Cuba with all its contradictions as the new regime opens the gate to the capitalism that Fidel railed against for so long.
In Guanabacoa, longtime residents prove enterprising in the extreme. Scrounging materials in the black market, Cary Luisa Limonta Ewen has started her own small manufacturing business, a surprising turn for a former ranking member of the Communist Party. Her good friend Lili, a loyal Communist, heads the neighborhood's watchdog revolutionary committee. Artist Arturo Montoto, who had long lived and worked in Mexico, moved back to Cuba when he saw improving conditions but complains like any artist about recognition. In stark contrast, Jorge García lives in Miami and continues to seek justice for the sinking of a tugboat full of refugees, a tragedy that claimed the lives of his son, grandson, and twelve other family members, a massacre for which the government denies any role. In The Cubans , many patriots face one new is their loyalty to the revolution, or to their country?
As people try to navigate their new reality, Cuba has become an improvised country, an old machine kept running with equal measures of ingenuity and desperation. A new kind of revolutionary spirit thrives beneath the conformity of a half century of totalitarian rule. And over all of this looms the United States, with its unpredictable policies, which warmed towards its neighbor under one administration but whose policies have now taken on a chill reminiscent of the Cold War.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 26, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 16, 2021
Takie reportaże uwielbiam, gdzie ludzie i ich codzienność wiodą prym!
Lata 1940-2018, na Kubie, przedstawione z perspektywy kilku bohaterów. Bohaterów, których życie toczyło się jednym torem, a jednak niektórym udało się obrać inny kierunek...
Z całego serca polecam Wam tę podróż do ludzi, którzy pokazują to, czego nie zobaczycie w mediach.
Lata 1940-2018, na Kubie, przedstawione z perspektywy kilku bohaterów. Bohaterów, których życie toczyło się jednym torem, a jednak niektórym udało się obrać inny kierunek...
Z całego serca polecam Wam tę podróż do ludzi, którzy pokazują to, czego nie zobaczycie w mediach.
May 26, 2020
Using the Havana suburb of Guanabacoa as the central glue of the narrative, journalist Anthony DePalma takes the reader behind the scenes into a cross-section of lives: a famed artist, a Communist party stalwart and vice minister, young people desperate to make something of their lives, a man who loses 14 relatives in a tragic attempt to escape the island, and many others. The disillusionment, bitterness and weariness of the Cuban people, cowed by decades of fear and poverty imposed on them by stubborn, near-sighted leaders intent on maintaining power at all costs, surge through the pages. These "ordinary" stories expose the revolution's vaunted "successes" in health, education, and equality as little more than shams. The book sadly leaves scant hope that anything will change in Cuba in the foreseeable future, but is testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the Cuban people. Readers will be left feeling that Cubans deserve so much more. A must-read for anyone interested in Latin America.
October 26, 2020
A remarkable account of just what it says: ordinary Cubans living in a gritty suburb of Havana, trying to get by in one of the last Communist countries in the world. Which isn't working any better there than anywhere else it's been tried.
Enough politics. Author DePalma, who's traveled extensively in Cuba and married a Cuban immigrant, has written an almost novelistic account of five families, growing old in a Cuba where just to get by takes extraordinary effort. The WSJ's review (paywalled; the one that led me to read the book) said:
"The daily quest for food and basic supplies—from eggs to bedsheets—seems to demand every ounce of the families’ energy and creativity. Mr. DePalma believes that Cubans are “cursed by their own greatest strength—their indomitable adaptability.” Their inventive resilience has a downside. And it may be why Cuba is embargo-proof: “People who can turn a plastic soda bottle into a gas tank for a motorcycle . . . see the world differently from other more conventional societies.”
But people get tired of the daily battle. 1.5 million Cubans have emigrated since the Castro regime came to power. Many have family in South Florida, just 90 miles away.
I recommend the book, if you have any interest in Cuba. Strong 4 stars. Rather than write a full review (I didn't keep notes), the short review at Kirkus is good: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... I'd be happy to email you a copy of the fine WSJ review, on request.
Enough politics. Author DePalma, who's traveled extensively in Cuba and married a Cuban immigrant, has written an almost novelistic account of five families, growing old in a Cuba where just to get by takes extraordinary effort. The WSJ's review (paywalled; the one that led me to read the book) said:
"The daily quest for food and basic supplies—from eggs to bedsheets—seems to demand every ounce of the families’ energy and creativity. Mr. DePalma believes that Cubans are “cursed by their own greatest strength—their indomitable adaptability.” Their inventive resilience has a downside. And it may be why Cuba is embargo-proof: “People who can turn a plastic soda bottle into a gas tank for a motorcycle . . . see the world differently from other more conventional societies.”
But people get tired of the daily battle. 1.5 million Cubans have emigrated since the Castro regime came to power. Many have family in South Florida, just 90 miles away.
I recommend the book, if you have any interest in Cuba. Strong 4 stars. Rather than write a full review (I didn't keep notes), the short review at Kirkus is good: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re... I'd be happy to email you a copy of the fine WSJ review, on request.
July 21, 2020
I've never been to Cuba although my daughters, who are half-Cuban I guess, have been a couple of times with their mom, so I definitely feel an emotional pull to the island nation. Plus hell yeah Che and Fidel and the revolution! It's too bad that, like all systems, whether "democratic", capitalistic, autocratic, communistic, tribal, etc., it collapsed into corruption and greed (for money and things and power), greatly amplified by a cruel US trade embargo that hurt the "ordinary people" that Anthony DePalma portrays in his well-reported book, The Cubans. DePalma focuses on a historic neighborhood called Guanabacoa, which sits across the harbor from Old Havana and is something of a disaster, infrastructure-wise. We closely follow the lives of three or four families over the course of 20 years or so, with backstories taking us to 1959 but mostly kicking in with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the concurrent loss of USSR aid, and the subsequent "Special Period" of extreme poverty, hunger, and shortages, which was further exacerbated by the US embargo. The people we meet range from true Communist/Fidel believers like Cary, a black woman who rose through the party ranks and became disillusioned by the privileges it granted her, to skeptics like Arturo, an artist who spent much of his career in Mexico. There's also a terrible story about a tugboat filled with families escaping to Miami which was rammed and sunk by authorities, killing like 25 people including children. DePalma tries hard to seem objective, and just report on these people lives as they happened, but righteous anti-Castro, anti-Communist sentiments do seep in. Which, considering what a disaster America is, and how corrupt our own political processes, garners zero sympathy from me. I did like reading about these people, and these places, though.
February 22, 2021
Riding high off of a wave of fantastic fiction, I dove into this book with no forethought from the recommendation of a trusted friend. Being the American born son of Cubans, the general theme of the promise of the revolution and the heartbreaking reality of life in Cuba wasn’t unknown to me but the detail within the book and the arc of the lives of the subjects of the book brought home the painful reality and dogged resourcefulness of my family’s countrymen. I could not help but tear up at the stories within. I listened on audiobook and it was a great listen. I cued up another book of fiction when I realized this was non-fiction but I couldn’t put the book down. Highly recommend.
July 13, 2023
Кубинците – живот като в мрачна приказка: http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
Съпругата на ДеПалма е кубинка и през нейните корени, както и дългогодишния си журналистически опит в отразяване на кубински новини, той поема на своето собствено пътешествие, за център на което избира Уанабакоа, нещо като квартал или предградие срещу пристанището на Старата Хавана. Място, което е запазило своя самобитен дух и където автентичната Куба още може да се вкуси прямо. Тук той се потапя изцяло в динамичните промени на острова през десетилетията, като през съдбите на избраните от него герои успява да покаже живота в цялата му пъстрота и определен тип колоритност. През писателскот перо проследяваме живота на много различни типажи – от хора, които са получили възможност за високо образование в СССР, да си създадат дом и стабилност, до други, които са настроени негативно към режима и мечтаят за бягство. Показани са герои, които се отличават с изключителна предприемчивост, която трябва да се бори с бюрокрацията и липсата на базови условия за развиване на частен бизнес.
Издателство „Сиела“
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
Съпругата на ДеПалма е кубинка и през нейните корени, както и дългогодишния си журналистически опит в отразяване на кубински новини, той поема на своето собствено пътешествие, за център на което избира Уанабакоа, нещо като квартал или предградие срещу пристанището на Старата Хавана. Място, което е запазило своя самобитен дух и където автентичната Куба още може да се вкуси прямо. Тук той се потапя изцяло в динамичните промени на острова през десетилетията, като през съдбите на избраните от него герои успява да покаже живота в цялата му пъстрота и определен тип колоритност. През писателскот перо проследяваме живота на много различни типажи – от хора, които са получили възможност за високо образование в СССР, да си създадат дом и стабилност, до други, които са настроени негативно към режима и мечтаят за бягство. Показани са герои, които се отличават с изключителна предприемчивост, която трябва да се бори с бюрокрацията и липсата на базови условия за развиване на частен бизнес.
Издателство „Сиела“
http://knigolandia.info/book-review/k...
June 23, 2020
This non fiction account of various families living in a Havana neighborhood from the years of the revolution to present time reads like a good novel. It is a fascinating, engrossing, in depth narrative. Having spent some time in Cuba, I felt that DePalma
captured the vibrancy, frustration, dashed feeling of possibilities, and character of some of the people I met there. My hope for this book is that it may help some people realize that our most recent treatment of Cuba has not affected the government there, but has had a significant impact on the lives of everyday people. I understand the hatred of Castro and the revolution among those who live here, but cannot understand how they can put embargos in place that hurt people…many of whom have no first hand memory of the revolution. The cruelty is unimaginable.
captured the vibrancy, frustration, dashed feeling of possibilities, and character of some of the people I met there. My hope for this book is that it may help some people realize that our most recent treatment of Cuba has not affected the government there, but has had a significant impact on the lives of everyday people. I understand the hatred of Castro and the revolution among those who live here, but cannot understand how they can put embargos in place that hurt people…many of whom have no first hand memory of the revolution. The cruelty is unimaginable.
July 7, 2024
I enjoy nonfiction books that take me to places that I would never be able to go. This book takes you into the streets and neighborhoods of Cuba under the Castro regime and it is very enlightening. You walk away very impressed with the spirit of the Cuban people. The book is a little confusing and moving back-and-forth between all the characters but overall it’s very, insightful.
January 12, 2025
shows how socialism in cuba impacted 5 ordinary citizens, doing politics you learn so much about all these different regimes but to read a non-fiction book that is centred around the experiences of citizens was super insightful
felt more like reading a novel than a non-fiction book which i personally loved
felt more like reading a novel than a non-fiction book which i personally loved
July 28, 2020
Having visited Cuba for the first time in spring of 2019, this book resonated deeply with me. We had planned the trip in order to see Cuba before it "opened up" and became more Americanized. Little did we know that not long after we were there, the Trump administration would undo the Obama-era rapprochement that benefited the Cuban people. They labeled Cuba as part of the so-called "troika of tyranny." Among other restrictions, "bans on travel to Cuba, which had been relaxed by Obama in 2017, were reintroduced to restrict movement of US citizens to and from the island...[U.S. National Security Advisor] Bolton said this was necessary because Obama had 'provided the Cuban regime with the necessary political cover to expand its malign influence.'" From my amateur traveler perspective, all that does is eliminate the opportunity for cultural and civic influence which can lead to an evolution toward greater freedom in Cuba. (But as far as I could surmise, the point was, as ever, to satisfy wealthy and bitter Cuban-American Republicans in Florida.)
When we were there, we saw clearly how the constraints that the U.S. embargo puts on capitalism (gee, isn't that what America wants for everyone? But hey, if our businesses can't trade with them, guess where they get their buses?: China. ) combine with the constraints of a repressive government to lock Cubans in an eternal struggle to keep afloat. DePalma, true to the title of his book, focuses on that individual struggle. He addresses politics as much as possible from the points of view of his "characters." The most damning incident of the Castro regime presented here is the 13 de Marzo tragedy--which I had never heard about before--in which a commandeered ferry boat is brutally rammed and sunk by government operatives as families try to flee Cuba to make a new life for themselves in Florida. Almost everyone on board was killed, including children. (As I write this, the context of U.S. government operatives assaulting unarmed protestors in Portland, Oregon; challenges to voting access; and a crippled response to a pandemic inclines me to see more parallels of oppression in our own country than perhaps the author of "The Cubans" intended.)
It is tragic in any case to see the onset of citizens' disillusionment with the socialist promise of no more "haves and have-nots." Just as it is here, with a similar American promise: work hard and you'll succeed. But, the big dogs continue to get the bones.
We learn through these resilient people about education, religion, family, business, art, music, and loyalty. I could so clearly remember my visit to the Muraleando Community Art Project, where locals had created from a garbage dump a wonderful venue and school for the arts. I could picture my friend Phil sharing his pictures of Fenway Park with a waiter who is a die-hard Red Sox fan. I recalled that it was safer to walk about in Havana at night than in most U.S. cities. I remembered the trash in the ocean, and how you can't flush toilet paper because the water system is so antiquated--but without being able to import equipment to collect and process waste, how do you clean it up? I remembered the music. The couple who survived a hurricane that damaged their home in Remedios. Well-educated--both in the health professions--but their plan was for him to serve the burgeoning tourist industry and for her to do salon work--both careers paid more. At least, until the renewed stranglehold on American tourism.
In the prologue, dePalma says of the Cubans:
"They have long been cursed by their greatest strength--their indomitable adaptability and their bottomless capacity to make do. That's why the U.S. embargo hasn't worked, and never will. The idea of making conditions on the island so intolerable that the people will rise up and crush the Castro regime ignores the Cubans' innate ability to find a way to survive. People who can turn a plastic soda bottle into a gas tank for a motorcycle, or use an old piston heated in a kitchen stove to repair a flat tire, see the world differently from other more conventional societies.....Only the bravest or most desperate risk everything to join the small number of outspoken dissidents that the government stalks, harasses and sometimes imprisons."
There is a map in the front of the book, of the town near Havana where most of the episodes in the book take place. What I could have used more--and I wish dePalma would incorporate this into his second printing!--is a sort of "cast of characters," family trees, for cross-reference. There are a lot of extended families and friends here, and their stories are interwoven. Sometimes their histories and relationships were hard to keep straight. Still, the personalities and experiences (of Cary, Lili, Arturo, and Jorge especially) were moving and memorable.
When we were there, we saw clearly how the constraints that the U.S. embargo puts on capitalism (gee, isn't that what America wants for everyone? But hey, if our businesses can't trade with them, guess where they get their buses?: China. ) combine with the constraints of a repressive government to lock Cubans in an eternal struggle to keep afloat. DePalma, true to the title of his book, focuses on that individual struggle. He addresses politics as much as possible from the points of view of his "characters." The most damning incident of the Castro regime presented here is the 13 de Marzo tragedy--which I had never heard about before--in which a commandeered ferry boat is brutally rammed and sunk by government operatives as families try to flee Cuba to make a new life for themselves in Florida. Almost everyone on board was killed, including children. (As I write this, the context of U.S. government operatives assaulting unarmed protestors in Portland, Oregon; challenges to voting access; and a crippled response to a pandemic inclines me to see more parallels of oppression in our own country than perhaps the author of "The Cubans" intended.)
It is tragic in any case to see the onset of citizens' disillusionment with the socialist promise of no more "haves and have-nots." Just as it is here, with a similar American promise: work hard and you'll succeed. But, the big dogs continue to get the bones.
We learn through these resilient people about education, religion, family, business, art, music, and loyalty. I could so clearly remember my visit to the Muraleando Community Art Project, where locals had created from a garbage dump a wonderful venue and school for the arts. I could picture my friend Phil sharing his pictures of Fenway Park with a waiter who is a die-hard Red Sox fan. I recalled that it was safer to walk about in Havana at night than in most U.S. cities. I remembered the trash in the ocean, and how you can't flush toilet paper because the water system is so antiquated--but without being able to import equipment to collect and process waste, how do you clean it up? I remembered the music. The couple who survived a hurricane that damaged their home in Remedios. Well-educated--both in the health professions--but their plan was for him to serve the burgeoning tourist industry and for her to do salon work--both careers paid more. At least, until the renewed stranglehold on American tourism.
In the prologue, dePalma says of the Cubans:
"They have long been cursed by their greatest strength--their indomitable adaptability and their bottomless capacity to make do. That's why the U.S. embargo hasn't worked, and never will. The idea of making conditions on the island so intolerable that the people will rise up and crush the Castro regime ignores the Cubans' innate ability to find a way to survive. People who can turn a plastic soda bottle into a gas tank for a motorcycle, or use an old piston heated in a kitchen stove to repair a flat tire, see the world differently from other more conventional societies.....Only the bravest or most desperate risk everything to join the small number of outspoken dissidents that the government stalks, harasses and sometimes imprisons."
There is a map in the front of the book, of the town near Havana where most of the episodes in the book take place. What I could have used more--and I wish dePalma would incorporate this into his second printing!--is a sort of "cast of characters," family trees, for cross-reference. There are a lot of extended families and friends here, and their stories are interwoven. Sometimes their histories and relationships were hard to keep straight. Still, the personalities and experiences (of Cary, Lili, Arturo, and Jorge especially) were moving and memorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2021
Loved the book. It tells true stories about my country and about real Cubans living life through 60 years of "Revolution". I strongly recommend it.
September 18, 2020
Author Anthony DePalma tells the story of Cuba through the lives of five ordinary Cubans, all living in Guanabacoa, a city near Havana. What I loved about it: The personal narratives of these individuals who lived through so much political change showed me how politics and policies affect individuals. Also, I loved when DePalma uses their lives to teach the reader about the history and culture of Cuba.
The downside of this approach brings me to what I didn't love about the book: If Castro's policies did not affect these five individuals and their families, DePalma does not write about it. Particularly missing from the story, in my mind but I read the book to learn more about Cuba so there might be more, is the Cuban Missile Crisis and how Castro "dealt with" AIDS on the island in the 1980s.
Still, I learned a whole, whole lot and ended up caring quite a lot about these individuals whose ordinary lives proved extraordinary because they endured so much.
The downside of this approach brings me to what I didn't love about the book: If Castro's policies did not affect these five individuals and their families, DePalma does not write about it. Particularly missing from the story, in my mind but I read the book to learn more about Cuba so there might be more, is the Cuban Missile Crisis and how Castro "dealt with" AIDS on the island in the 1980s.
Still, I learned a whole, whole lot and ended up caring quite a lot about these individuals whose ordinary lives proved extraordinary because they endured so much.
August 13, 2023
There is a stunning lack of accountability for the United States in this book. Placing all of the blame for the destruction of the Cuban economy on the regime. Although that analysis is warranted, there is a lot missing from fully holding America to account for a significant amount of suffering in Cuba. This book serves to further the American policies of starving the country until people overthrow the government by placing all blame on the regime, and not the US incredible international influence.
June 26, 2023
Трябваше да се появи и такава книга за Куба, която да надзърта отвъд лъскавата туристическа опаковка, отвъд слънчевите улици на стара Хавана, отвъд романтичните фасади на старите сгради и ретро автомобилите, боядисани в бонбонени цветове, отвъд харизмата на брадатите мъже с високо вдигнат юмрук, отвъд Фидел, Че, революцията, отвъд Хемингуей, палмите, първокласния ром, белите плажове, отвъд покритите с бръчки бронзови лица на уличните музиканти, споделящи своето изкуство с минувачите под горещите лъчи на тропическото слънце. Куба е толкова неповторима, че всичко, отнасящо се до нея, рано или късно се превръща в клише. Заливът на прасетата, Гуантанамо, ракетната криза, успехите в спорта, че дори и здравната система, пропагандирана от всички като вероятно най-добрата в цял свят. Фасада, зад която е желателно любопитното око на чужденеца никога да не надниква. Частният живот на обикновените кубинци и до ден днешен си остава до голяма степен забулен в тайна. Знаех, че са адски бедни и потиснати от режима, но и думата адски има своите измерения. Антъни де Палма повдига завесата, за да ни разкаже Куба през погледа на няколко фамилии обикновени кубинци. Някои, опитващи се да съхранят неопетнени в сърцата си заветите на революцията, други, оцеляващи въпреки всичко, което тя им е причинила. Нашите два народа всъщност доста си приличат. И ние сме минали през мелачката на социализма, макар и далеч не така романтичен. Нямали сме лидер, когото истински да боготворим. Лидер, който не се страхува да излезе на улицата без горилите си, за да успокои хората, когато най-накрая и те решават да протестират срещу безумията на режима. Случва им се един единствен път – през 94-та, когато правителството наистина е прекрачило всякакви граници, а положението на хората е станало нетърпимо. Въпреки горещата си кръв, кубинците са разумен, поко̀рен народ. Свикнали са да стискат зъби и да търсят начини да оцеляват, да заобикалят нещастието, вместо да му се противопоставят открито. Дори и днес, макар отдавна тръгнала по дългия и трънлив път на промяната, Куба не е много по-различна от времето на Фидел. Огромният процент жители на острова са все така бедни и обезправени. Обещанията на революцията, мечтите за равенство, за достойно съществуване, са се провалили и почти не са останали кубинци, които да вярват в това. Облъчвани с години от водачите си, че са богоизбран народ, че държавата им има огромно, световно значение, днес им е трудно да приемат горчивия факт, че всъщност са една незначителна карибска държава с вървяща надолу икономика. Мечтаят да избягат и биха го направили, стига да имаха тази възможност. Повечето гледат към Флорида, но има и кандидати за ямайски паспорт. Купчини разлагащ се боклук продължават да заливат улиците на градовете и никой не може да направи нищо по въпроса. Всички знаят, че боклукът се извозва в края на месеца. За по-често извозване няма средства. Изключение правят стара Хавана и курортите, за които държавата полага специални усилия – все пак това е визитната картичка на Куба. Не толкова заради добрия имидж, колкото заради доларите, които чужденците са готови да похарчат на драго сърце, получавайки в замяна един добре напудрен спомен от романтична постреволюционна Куба. Гостите нямат представа, че в същата тази Куба контейнерите за боклук не се задържат дълго на улицата. Биват разфасовани и превръщани в други, по-полезни предмети – колички за търговци на плодове и зеленчуци, че дори и играчки за децата. Куба е „еко“, при това без никакви усилия – бензин липсва, както впрочем и кой знае колко автомобили. Карат велосипеди. Всичко, което може да ти спести или спечели някое и друго песо, влиза в цикъла на рециклирането. Телешко няма. Свинското и пилешкото са кът. Панират обелки от банани и кори от грейпфрут, оказали се приличен заместител на стека, който северните им съседи, американците, считат за даденост. Опашки се извиват пред магазините всеки път, когато гражданите забележат някой от камионите, доставящи дефицитна стока. Някои пасажи от книгата са потресаващи с тънката си ирония и същевременно с дълбокия си драматизъм. Например този: „… планина от стари обувки и евтини маратонки, твърде износени, за да се ползват, но твърде ценни, за да се изхвърлят.“ Или пък този (цитирам по памет думи на Фидел или на брат му Раул): „… един ден, ако нещата продължават да вървят така добре, всеки кубинец ще може да получи чаша мляко, стига да поиска.“ Вероятно са имали предвид еднократно получаване на въпросната чаша. Или пък всяка година по веднъж? Кой знае. Яйцата обаче все още не са пуснати на свободен режим. Получават ги деца, пенсионери и болни. На здравите яйца не им трябват. Един от водещите кубински художници се прочува с натюрмортите си, представящи апетитна храна (диня, яйца, авокадо), на фона на рушащи се стълби. Взема домат назаем, колкото да го нарисува, но с обещанието да го върне, защото всяка храна в тази страна е ценна и трябва да се използва по предназначение. Изключение прави може би единствено безвкусният продоволствен хляб, раздаван от правителството. Наричат го „хлябът“, за да го отличават от другия „хляб“, който се купува с пари и вече става за ядене. Една от главните героини, Каридад, се пенсионира като директор на държавно предприятие с над 20 фабрики из страната. Работила е и в държавната администрация, достигайки до заместник-министър. Месечната ѝ пенсия се равнява на 12 щатски долара. Отива в единствения универсален магазин в града, за да си купи вентилатор. Оказва се непосилно за нея – паянтовата пластмасова машина, вероятно трето качество от Китай, струва 93 долара. Принудена е да приеме офертата на момчето с мотоциклета пред магазина, което малко по-рано ѝ е предложило да ѝ намери същото, което се е запътила да купува от магазина, но на много по-ниска цена. Черен пазар, спекула, корупция, връзки, по втория начин, оцеляване. Колко познато, нали? Седемдесетгод��шен дядо с няколко инфаркта продължава да катери горещите хълмове на града, за да доставя хранителни продукти на своите клиенти – съграждани, на които не им се виси по цял ден по опашките. В края на месеца ежедневните усилия на стареца генерират цифром и словом около два долара приход – достатъчен, за да оцелее, добавяйки го към мизерната си пенсия. Трите стълба на оцеляването в Куба – купонна книжка, преводи от чужбина, кражби от държавата. И в това си приличаме, макар ние да сме загърбили вече известна част от тези начини за оцеляване.
Въпреки цялата описана нищета на кубинския народ, книгата на Антъни де Палма си остава чудесно четиво – топло, слънчево, интимно. Антагонисти почти липсват. Злодеите са анонимни, злото е анонимно и макар хората да знаят добр�� имената на виновниците за всичко това, рядко се намира някой, който да ги изрече на всеослушание. Трудно е да не се почувстваш дълбоко съпричастен с неволите на всеки един от героите в книгата, да не му стискаш палци за всеки негов малък успех, да не се радваш с него за всяка негова малка радост. Като стил на писане де Палма до голяма степен остава верен на журналистическата си школовка. Всичко, описано от него, е реално случило се или продължаващо да се случва на Острова на свободата. Спестил е някои дребни подробности, за да защити хората от евентуални проблеми с властите, но всичко останало е напълно достоверно. Напразно се опитвах да го улича в творческо своеволие, когато описанията му започваха да ми звучат невероятно. Проверявах в интернет и всеки път се оказваше, че авторът не си е измислял – разказвал е, макар и майсторски украсявайки текста с неуловими моменти – мисли, чувства, намерения, разговори – все неща, присъщи иначе на романа. Сякаш наистина е бил там и е видял всичко с очите си. За съжаление това е единствената, преведена на български към момента, книга на де Палма. Абсолютно задължителна за всеки, който се интересува от кубинската тема, а и си заслужава всяка минута четене.
Въпреки цялата описана нищета на кубинския народ, книгата на Антъни де Палма си остава чудесно четиво – топло, слънчево, интимно. Антагонисти почти липсват. Злодеите са анонимни, злото е анонимно и макар хората да знаят добр�� имената на виновниците за всичко това, рядко се намира някой, който да ги изрече на всеослушание. Трудно е да не се почувстваш дълбоко съпричастен с неволите на всеки един от героите в книгата, да не му стискаш палци за всеки негов малък успех, да не се радваш с него за всяка негова малка радост. Като стил на писане де Палма до голяма степен остава верен на журналистическата си школовка. Всичко, описано от него, е реално случило се или продължаващо да се случва на Острова на свободата. Спестил е някои дребни подробности, за да защити хората от евентуални проблеми с властите, но всичко останало е напълно достоверно. Напразно се опитвах да го улича в творческо своеволие, когато описанията му започваха да ми звучат невероятно. Проверявах в интернет и всеки път се оказваше, че авторът не си е измислял – разказвал е, макар и майсторски украсявайки текста с неуловими моменти – мисли, чувства, намерения, разговори – все неща, присъщи иначе на романа. Сякаш наистина е бил там и е видял всичко с очите си. За съжаление това е единствената, преведена на български към момента, книга на де Палма. Абсолютно задължителна за всеки, който се интересува от кубинската тема, а и си заслужава всяка минута четене.
November 20, 2023
Тежка за четене книга, особено като разбива представите на по-младите, а и на някои от по-старите българи, за които Куба е както самият автор казва: "Куба, най-прекрасната от Антилите. Вечният остров. Страната с най-хубавите плажове в света, с най-класния ром и пури, най-красивите жени, най-нустоимата музика и най-лошите бунтовници"
В погледа на съвремения българин падат осново Варадеро, белите плажове и турисическите дестинации и някак на по-заден план и то само при желание си отваря очите за онова, другото лице на Куба. Мизерията, трудният живот, борбата за всеки един ден, които са неизмени спътници на обикновения кубинец в последните повече жт 50 години.
Де Палма събира своите интервюта от различни жители на Уанабакоа проследявайки съдбите на ревностни партиции, вярващи в режима на Кастро и хора разочаровани и препатили от него. Без да се опитва да излага мнение за режима на Кастро всичко може да се усети във всяко едно от интервютата. Най-санкционираната държава с наложено зверско ембарго от страна на САЩ се бори да просъществува всеки ден. И хората там изумяват със склонността си да разграничат обикновеният американец от правителството на САЩ, наложили им толкова санкции. Изумяват и с това как въпреки политическите репресии от собственото им провителство не губят духа си и желанието за борба и живот.
А историята за потопяването на кораба "13 de marzo"? Тя е смразяваща.
Прочетете я. Това е една от книгите готова да разбие романтичните ми представи, но пък за сметка на това ще ви даде хап доста нужна действителност. Защото всеки един българин тръгнал към Куба за своето готино пътеществие трябва да тръгва с нагласата какво уважение заслужават хората, които ще срещнат там. За силата на духа им, за способността да се преборят за всеки изминал ден!
В погледа на съвремения българин падат осново Варадеро, белите плажове и турисическите дестинации и някак на по-заден план и то само при желание си отваря очите за онова, другото лице на Куба. Мизерията, трудният живот, борбата за всеки един ден, които са неизмени спътници на обикновения кубинец в последните повече жт 50 години.
Де Палма събира своите интервюта от различни жители на Уанабакоа проследявайки съдбите на ревностни партиции, вярващи в режима на Кастро и хора разочаровани и препатили от него. Без да се опитва да излага мнение за режима на Кастро всичко може да се усети във всяко едно от интервютата. Най-санкционираната държава с наложено зверско ембарго от страна на САЩ се бори да просъществува всеки ден. И хората там изумяват със склонността си да разграничат обикновеният американец от правителството на САЩ, наложили им толкова санкции. Изумяват и с това как въпреки политическите репресии от собственото им провителство не губят духа си и желанието за борба и живот.
А историята за потопяването на кораба "13 de marzo"? Тя е смразяваща.
Прочетете я. Това е една от книгите готова да разбие романтичните ми представи, но пък за сметка на това ще ви даде хап доста нужна действителност. Защото всеки един българин тръгнал към Куба за своето готино пътеществие трябва да тръгва с нагласата какво уважение заслужават хората, които ще срещнат там. За силата на духа им, за способността да се преборят за всеки изминал ден!
August 30, 2020
This was a fabulous read. I have visited Cuba twice, but both times fairly limited on what I could do or see under guidance from government tour guides. I still was able to get a feel for this impoverished island nation, but this book truly opens your eyes to the real Cuba and real Cuban lives. Since I live in Miami, the Cuban influence here is immense both culturally and politically. I wanted to learn more so I turned to this exceptionally well researched (over 3 years) tale of four or five families who live in a town just across the harbor from Havana. The author allows the “characters” themselves to tell their stories, he doesn’t take sides or insert his own point of view, you watch as the individuals themselves come to their own conclusions about life in Cuba and the Revolution. There is one major incident that takes place I wasn’t aware of and won’t go into detail here (can you have spoilers in non fiction?) but it is so horrific, it reads almost like an action thriller, unfortunately it was real life. If you have an interest in Cuba without the propaganda on either side, or if you just like to read real life stories highlighting ordinary people whose resilience helps them overcome extraordinary obstacles, I highly recommend this book.
September 12, 2020
Cuba has never really piqued my interest after the Bay of Pigs incident when I was in 6th grade and thought we were going to have a nuclear war over it. So I don't know why I was intrigued by this book but I am very glad I read it. The style reminded me in ways of "The Warmth of Other Suns" in that it followed 3-4 families through time both pre-revolution up to current days and showed the history of devoted Communists, impoverished rebels, and middle of the roaders.
When Cuba's ties with Russia were strong, it was quite common for young students to travel by freighter to the Ukraine to complete a college education. One such student, a black female got her degree in economic engineering and because she was a loyal Communist, and a minority, was assigned to top jobs and given preferred treatment by the party. There are also stories of less fortunate people who tried unsuccessfully to travel to Key West in a tug boat which was sunk by the Cuban Coast Guard who left the drowning people stranded at sea.
I felt like I got a history lesson from this book and enjoyed reading it at the same time. A rare treat!
When Cuba's ties with Russia were strong, it was quite common for young students to travel by freighter to the Ukraine to complete a college education. One such student, a black female got her degree in economic engineering and because she was a loyal Communist, and a minority, was assigned to top jobs and given preferred treatment by the party. There are also stories of less fortunate people who tried unsuccessfully to travel to Key West in a tug boat which was sunk by the Cuban Coast Guard who left the drowning people stranded at sea.
I felt like I got a history lesson from this book and enjoyed reading it at the same time. A rare treat!
September 14, 2023
Enlightening! Cubans follows the lives of various individuals in the Guanabacoa region of Havana during the Cuban Revolution in the late 1950s through 2018. The choices that individuals made just after the revolution impacted them and their descendants. Though communism preaches equality, Cuban society was stratified based upon how strongly one embraced the regime. Those who remained faithful to their religion, banned by Castro, lost out.
Throughout the generations, conditions became worse in Cuba. Castro’s promises for infrastructure improvement failed, yet he commanded attention. Secretly though, even his followers realized he wasn’t promoting true Communism, but “Castroism,” a kind of oligarchy where his most ardent supporters were rewarded with good jobs and better homes. Yet even those in favor suffered as conditions deteriorated throughout the years.
A pivotal point is the sinking of the tugboat 13 de Marzo in 1994. 72 Cubans, seeking a better life, attempted passage to Miami in a commandeered boat. According to survivors (of which there were 31), their boat was rammed by another tugboat, then circled by two tugs to create a whirlpool of debris. When survivors cried for help, they were ridiculed. The Cuban Coast Guard boat nearby didn’t intervene until a Greek ship came close. Castro claimed that the tugboats were helping, but survivors claim otherwise.
The recent election, in which only one candidate was offered for each office, also points out the differences in perception between classes and generations. The impact of American politics throughout the years is considered also.
A fascinating look at Fidel and Raul Castro’s regime and its impact on the populace, and what Cubans can expect in the near future. Readers interested in perspectives of Cubans in diverse circumstances will enjoy this book.
Throughout the generations, conditions became worse in Cuba. Castro’s promises for infrastructure improvement failed, yet he commanded attention. Secretly though, even his followers realized he wasn’t promoting true Communism, but “Castroism,” a kind of oligarchy where his most ardent supporters were rewarded with good jobs and better homes. Yet even those in favor suffered as conditions deteriorated throughout the years.
A pivotal point is the sinking of the tugboat 13 de Marzo in 1994. 72 Cubans, seeking a better life, attempted passage to Miami in a commandeered boat. According to survivors (of which there were 31), their boat was rammed by another tugboat, then circled by two tugs to create a whirlpool of debris. When survivors cried for help, they were ridiculed. The Cuban Coast Guard boat nearby didn’t intervene until a Greek ship came close. Castro claimed that the tugboats were helping, but survivors claim otherwise.
The recent election, in which only one candidate was offered for each office, also points out the differences in perception between classes and generations. The impact of American politics throughout the years is considered also.
A fascinating look at Fidel and Raul Castro’s regime and its impact on the populace, and what Cubans can expect in the near future. Readers interested in perspectives of Cubans in diverse circumstances will enjoy this book.
December 24, 2024
As I read about the great communist society Fidel built, I kept wondering how anyone can be for communism in this day and age. Over the course of 60 years, the Castros took a thriving country and destroyed it, making the standard of living lower and lower each year. The destruction wrought by communism continues. This same destruction has played out in every communist country. It never works.
I have this four stars because the last part of the book bogged down in the daily lives of the characters. But maybe it’s a great instrument to convey the drudgery of a stark and bare existence. So I’ll give it 5 stars.
I have this four stars because the last part of the book bogged down in the daily lives of the characters. But maybe it’s a great instrument to convey the drudgery of a stark and bare existence. So I’ll give it 5 stars.
October 12, 2025
This read more like a novel than non-fiction, which I really enjoyed. It follows several families in a Havana neighborhood from the revolution to today, offering an engaging look at everyday life in Cuba. DePalma does a great job blending personal stories with the country’s complex history without it ever feeling heavy or textbook like.
The frustration and fatigue of people living under decades of control and hardship really come through, and while the book doesn’t offer much hope for change, it highlights the resilience of the Cuban people. My only complaint is that the shifting points of view can get confusing at times. Overall, a thoughtful and absorbing read.
The frustration and fatigue of people living under decades of control and hardship really come through, and while the book doesn’t offer much hope for change, it highlights the resilience of the Cuban people. My only complaint is that the shifting points of view can get confusing at times. Overall, a thoughtful and absorbing read.
April 13, 2025
Felt with every passing chapter like I was reading a modern classic (a loaded label, but one that feels apt here). Tragic and uplifting in not-quite-equal measure, DePalma’s writing encapsulates the resilience of ordinary Cubans and serves as important window into what life has really been like on the island over the last few decades.
The chapter on the sinking of the “13 de Marzo” tugboat was particularly moving. I hope that the families of the victims will eventually find some form of justice.
The chapter on the sinking of the “13 de Marzo” tugboat was particularly moving. I hope that the families of the victims will eventually find some form of justice.
August 15, 2020
On a whim I decided to take up this book. Cuba has been in the news lately and it seemed like it would be a good read. I was curious what the this could tell me about life in Cuba through the lives of a few different families over a period of a couple of decades. The struggles, the highs and lows, the hardships and joys and more.
This was a struggle. I didn't know anything about the author so I didn't realize this was a nonfiction book. Unfortunately, it uses devices that I often don't like: multiple point of views of a large cast and a book by a journalist. While of course that would make sense for a nonfiction book, all the same it's yet another case where a journalist's style doesn't quite translate to a book form.
To be fair: I did learn a lot. I've never been but do know people who have visited and had to obey very strict guidelines to during their time there. In some ways, it was eye-opening. Sometimes I've heard romanticized stories about Cuba and since I didn't know much about the country and its history, it obviously was not appropriate for me to comment. This book show a country that is very complicated with a complicated history.
A library borrow for me. It wasn't a book for me but it seems others got a lot of it.
This was a struggle. I didn't know anything about the author so I didn't realize this was a nonfiction book. Unfortunately, it uses devices that I often don't like: multiple point of views of a large cast and a book by a journalist. While of course that would make sense for a nonfiction book, all the same it's yet another case where a journalist's style doesn't quite translate to a book form.
To be fair: I did learn a lot. I've never been but do know people who have visited and had to obey very strict guidelines to during their time there. In some ways, it was eye-opening. Sometimes I've heard romanticized stories about Cuba and since I didn't know much about the country and its history, it obviously was not appropriate for me to comment. This book show a country that is very complicated with a complicated history.
A library borrow for me. It wasn't a book for me but it seems others got a lot of it.
November 20, 2021
Niezwykle dobra książka. Miejscami długość pewnych wątków może zmęczyć, dlatego czytałam ją dość mozolnie.
Ten zabieg buduje jednak pewną więź z postaciami, pod koniec są już prawie przyjaciółmi, którzy opowiedzieli historię swojego życia.
Ten zabieg buduje jednak pewną więź z postaciami, pod koniec są już prawie przyjaciółmi, którzy opowiedzieli historię swojego życia.
December 14, 2020
"I set out to show you where to look, not tell you what to see." I love this style of nonfiction.
January 4, 2021
Growing up on the Gulf Coast I have always been fascinated with Cuba. The format of this book to focus on regular individuals and their lives is excellent.
March 9, 2024
Nature is healing
September 28, 2021
I was born in Cuba and have followed Cuban news all my adult life. I have visited my family on the island and have hosted them in the US several times. I thought I understood the complexities and the difficulties of life in Cuba. This superb book proved I had only glimpsed the surface.
Five Cubans from different races, political camps, and religious backgrounds opened up their lives to the author in a way my own family never has. They let him follow them through crumbling barrios as they searched for food or supplies. Their grown children described their frustrations and anger--a "seething" one, as the author describes--about the lack of a hopeful future on the island. The subjects shared their own youthful dreams and aspirations and how the revolution some of them thought would help them achieve those dreams failed them. The arc of their lives shows that although they feel Cuban despite all the disappointments of that broken system, the Cuba of their dreams no longer exists.
This is an insightful, heartbreaking and haunting read. It brims with journalistic attention to details and fairness to all sides yet shows a humanity that honors Cuban culture and history. Throughout the book, the author seamlessly weaves in context that helps us better understand the subjects' stories. We learn about Jamaican-Cubans' history on the island, the wars of independence with Spain, the impact of the U.S. embargo--all in relation to the subjects' lives, making historical and economic facts memorable and meaningful. There is humor as well, despite the the subjects' various struggles, and plenty of anecdotes about the incredible Cuban ingenuity--motorcycle engines made from soda bottles?--that has sustained the nation through decades of hardship.
I finished the book a year ago and still think about these people and their families with deep admiration and gratitude. Their candor and bravery--they allowed the author to use their real names--are stunning considering the risk of reprisals, something so common in Cuba that sources critical of the regime frequently request anonymity.
Anyone who believes the historic protests in July of this year were about the economy or vaccine rollouts should read these unforgettable accounts of life in Cuba. Readers will feel like they are walking Cuba's streets, crossing Havana's harbor, slogging their way through life in a single party state that has refused to open itself to pluralism and democracy for 62 years.
Five Cubans from different races, political camps, and religious backgrounds opened up their lives to the author in a way my own family never has. They let him follow them through crumbling barrios as they searched for food or supplies. Their grown children described their frustrations and anger--a "seething" one, as the author describes--about the lack of a hopeful future on the island. The subjects shared their own youthful dreams and aspirations and how the revolution some of them thought would help them achieve those dreams failed them. The arc of their lives shows that although they feel Cuban despite all the disappointments of that broken system, the Cuba of their dreams no longer exists.
This is an insightful, heartbreaking and haunting read. It brims with journalistic attention to details and fairness to all sides yet shows a humanity that honors Cuban culture and history. Throughout the book, the author seamlessly weaves in context that helps us better understand the subjects' stories. We learn about Jamaican-Cubans' history on the island, the wars of independence with Spain, the impact of the U.S. embargo--all in relation to the subjects' lives, making historical and economic facts memorable and meaningful. There is humor as well, despite the the subjects' various struggles, and plenty of anecdotes about the incredible Cuban ingenuity--motorcycle engines made from soda bottles?--that has sustained the nation through decades of hardship.
I finished the book a year ago and still think about these people and their families with deep admiration and gratitude. Their candor and bravery--they allowed the author to use their real names--are stunning considering the risk of reprisals, something so common in Cuba that sources critical of the regime frequently request anonymity.
Anyone who believes the historic protests in July of this year were about the economy or vaccine rollouts should read these unforgettable accounts of life in Cuba. Readers will feel like they are walking Cuba's streets, crossing Havana's harbor, slogging their way through life in a single party state that has refused to open itself to pluralism and democracy for 62 years.
December 4, 2020
Learning about the history of Cuba through the lens of ordinary people’s lives taught me many things I didn’t know. My four grandparents came to the US before/during the revolution so the Cuban history I received has the quality of folklore in my mind (That is, I heard the same stories, facts and tidbits again and again and whether true or not, they’re part of the legend.)
Here’s a random scattering of things I learned from this book. Any errors are probably due to my interpretation or memory, not the scrupulous research of the journalist-author, Anthony DiPalma:
1. Although there have been centuries of mixing among people on the island, there was racial segregation. Even Batista, the dictator, was not allowed entry to exclusive clubs at first because he was “not white.” Racial discrimination continues today, as it does in the US and other places.
2. The import and enslavement of people from Africa ended earlier than it did for the US. Slavery continued after import ended, in part because of fears of uprising like in Haiti. The ruling classes feared independence from Spain in part because they were worried about vengeance from former slaves and poor people.
3. There were multiple-entry visas for Cubans to go to the US for business (Trump curtailed this.)
4. Cubans born around the “special period” after the fall of the USSR are smaller, due to malnutrition during that time.
5. There are chronic housing shortages that predate the revolution. There’s also a shortage of burial space, so people are buried with socks on their hands and feet. Once they decompose in the crypt 2-3 years after burial, family members retrieve their bones to store them in bone vaults or niches. The socks help keep the tiny finger and foot bones all together.
Here’s a random scattering of things I learned from this book. Any errors are probably due to my interpretation or memory, not the scrupulous research of the journalist-author, Anthony DiPalma:
1. Although there have been centuries of mixing among people on the island, there was racial segregation. Even Batista, the dictator, was not allowed entry to exclusive clubs at first because he was “not white.” Racial discrimination continues today, as it does in the US and other places.
2. The import and enslavement of people from Africa ended earlier than it did for the US. Slavery continued after import ended, in part because of fears of uprising like in Haiti. The ruling classes feared independence from Spain in part because they were worried about vengeance from former slaves and poor people.
3. There were multiple-entry visas for Cubans to go to the US for business (Trump curtailed this.)
4. Cubans born around the “special period” after the fall of the USSR are smaller, due to malnutrition during that time.
5. There are chronic housing shortages that predate the revolution. There’s also a shortage of burial space, so people are buried with socks on their hands and feet. Once they decompose in the crypt 2-3 years after burial, family members retrieve their bones to store them in bone vaults or niches. The socks help keep the tiny finger and foot bones all together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2020
Inventando y resolviendo. Doing what it takes to survive. Told through the eyes of five ordinary Cubans in the off-the-tourist-track, potholed barrio of Guanabacoa. The tale of these five sometimes interconnected families explain why Cubans have never kicked out their government and its 60 yr grip on power.
Says the author: Cubans “have long been cursed by their own greatest strength — their indomitable adaptability and bottomless capacity to make do.”
“The idea of making conditions on the island so intolerable that the people will rise up and crush the Castro regime ignores the Cubans’ innate ability to find a way to survive.” More tellingly, DePalma observes, Cuba revels in “the pretensions of a big country on a small island, a nation always playing a much bigger role than it had any right to play.” That about says it all.
The trade-off is clear: Cubans for the most part survive the worst that nature throws their way, but in return they are forced to endure an even tighter rein on their limited freedoms.
- excerpts from The Washington Post review.
Says the author: Cubans “have long been cursed by their own greatest strength — their indomitable adaptability and bottomless capacity to make do.”
“The idea of making conditions on the island so intolerable that the people will rise up and crush the Castro regime ignores the Cubans’ innate ability to find a way to survive.” More tellingly, DePalma observes, Cuba revels in “the pretensions of a big country on a small island, a nation always playing a much bigger role than it had any right to play.” That about says it all.
The trade-off is clear: Cubans for the most part survive the worst that nature throws their way, but in return they are forced to endure an even tighter rein on their limited freedoms.
- excerpts from The Washington Post review.
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