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Journey Back Into The Vault: In Search of My Faded Cuban Childhood Footprints
Journey Back into the In Search of My Faded Cuban Childhood Footprints invites you to travel with me back to the land of my birth for the first time in fifty-six years in order to reclaim my forgotten Cuban childhood memories, original identity, and once-promised destiny. Come with me as I search for the now faded footprints I once left behind in the homes, school, and playgrounds of the first nine years of my life; help me honor the grandparents, uncles, and aunts I never saw again at their final resting place; and meet family members I never knew I had. Laugh, sigh, and cry with me during the many unforeseen experiences, astonishing events, and serendipitous moments that would forever change my life. Enjoy the improbable story of a courageous journey aimed at breaching the subconscious vault I once built to store the difficult memories of a childhood usurped, destiny denied, and loving family forever separated by geopolitical events. This is the story of those psychological forces that help define us, the power of enduring hope, and how by achieving purity of heart, reconciliation, and a soul at rest, we can evolve into better versions of ourselves—a universal message of love and enlightenment that can only begin with each individual’s search for self-actualization and inner peace.
232 pages, Paperback
Published February 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 15, 2023
Having lived in Miami for many years, the Cuban-American experience has always been a part of my life. Mario's book though, opened my eyes to the heart felt and at times heart-wrenching emotions Cuban-Americans feel toward the country, family and memories they were forced to leave behind. I enjoyed your journey back Mario, and the many connections made while you were in Cuba. Thank you for your insight and honesty about this important and healing journey to the land of your birth.
February 18, 2026
Matilda is a dancer on an ice skating version of Dancing with the Stars and Luca is her famous but not so famous partner right now. He's been away from the limelight.For a couple years, and this is his chance to make a comeback and shed his bad boy image and get the role of his dreams- problem is he trusts no women. He was burned in Hollywood. And he has no ran off to England to take care of his mom and live a quiet life. But when this part of a lifetime comes up, he decides, he needs to show Hollywood he's a changed man.-- Matilda is a very shy quiet girl.She's been doing this ice skating gig for a while.Usually landing somewhere in the middle, she's not really even into ice skating, but her mother was an Olympic Champion. Kind of lives vicariously through her. But she feels like if she could win this season.She could get away from this show and do what she loves teaching others- her and Luca. i have a rough start. But after talking things out, they decide to do their best.So they can both win for the reasons they want to win- somewhere in the middle, though, they start to catch feelings., with lots of outside interference, her mom, her sister, her exploit for new happens to be the producer of the show. There's a lot going on, including luca's insecurities about bing, screwed over by women in the past- will they win the championship at the end of the season, we'll Luca get his big part- will Matilda ever be able to stand up to her family.- tune in and see, oops, I mean by the book, can you find out if you are a big fan of dancing with the sars, this is a book for you. I think this is definitely a fun romcom, something quick and light and breezy to read definitely recommend
Thank you Netgalley, for the arc, in exchange for an honest review
Thank you Netgalley, for the arc, in exchange for an honest review
May 30, 2025
Journey Back into the Vault by Mario Cartaya is a very beautifully written book based on author's life. It unfolds the feelings of a person who left his own country at a very young age and came back to relive those memories after 56 years of exile.
This book has beautifully portrayed the feeling of confronting our past and the importance of our loved ones in our lives. When we left our home and move to another country, it's not as easy as we think it is. We face many challenges, this book confronts those challenges.
The book also unfolds the importance of having an understanding life partner and friends who never lets you do anything alone. They always stands by your side like pillars. In this story, the author and his two friends were on their journey and when they returned they had three different experiences.
The narrative is very good and explains every emotion the author is feeling while revisiting the places he once lived, played, studied. There are some pictures of people he met while visiting Cuba, and some pictures of his family members.
I am giving this book 5/5 stars, because of its narrative, the way it tells the importance of reclaiming our past no matter how painful it is, and the closure we all need in our life. This book is a great read for someone who has a fear of confronting their past and who wants closure.
This book has beautifully portrayed the feeling of confronting our past and the importance of our loved ones in our lives. When we left our home and move to another country, it's not as easy as we think it is. We face many challenges, this book confronts those challenges.
The book also unfolds the importance of having an understanding life partner and friends who never lets you do anything alone. They always stands by your side like pillars. In this story, the author and his two friends were on their journey and when they returned they had three different experiences.
The narrative is very good and explains every emotion the author is feeling while revisiting the places he once lived, played, studied. There are some pictures of people he met while visiting Cuba, and some pictures of his family members.
I am giving this book 5/5 stars, because of its narrative, the way it tells the importance of reclaiming our past no matter how painful it is, and the closure we all need in our life. This book is a great read for someone who has a fear of confronting their past and who wants closure.
December 17, 2025
Journey Back Into The Vault is a deeply moving and beautifully reflective memoir that explores identity, memory, and the long shadow of displacement. Mario Cartaya’s return to Cuba after more than five decades is rendered with emotional honesty and vivid detail, allowing readers to walk beside him as he retraces the footprints of a childhood interrupted by history. The narrative is rich with sensory memory, balancing personal loss with moments of grace, discovery, and unexpected joy.
What elevates this memoir is its universal resonance. Beyond the specifics of Cuba and exile, Cartaya captures the shared human longing for belonging, reconciliation, and inner peace. His journey into the subconscious “vault” of memory becomes a meditation on healing, forgiveness, and self-actualization. This is a book that lingers long after the final page, thoughtful, intimate, and quietly transformative.
What elevates this memoir is its universal resonance. Beyond the specifics of Cuba and exile, Cartaya captures the shared human longing for belonging, reconciliation, and inner peace. His journey into the subconscious “vault” of memory becomes a meditation on healing, forgiveness, and self-actualization. This is a book that lingers long after the final page, thoughtful, intimate, and quietly transformative.
May 15, 2025
I commend the author of this book for this beautifully written, introspective memoir that offers a raw and moving portrayal of the exile experience and the enduring pull of one's roots. One major lesson I learned from this book is the importance of reclaiming and confronting one's past, no matter how painful. The themes explored in the book include healing, reconciliation, and closure. The impact of exile on identity, the power of memory, cultural displacement, and political oppression were also explored in the book. I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars because the author's narration captures the vulnerability and emotional turmoil an exile encounters. I recommend this book to individuals interested in diaspora literature, memoirs of return, and stories of personal reconciliation.
January 10, 2026
Journey Back Into The Vault is a tender and courageous exploration of memory, identity, loss, and reconciliation. Mario Cartaya’s return to Cuba after more than half a century becomes not just a physical journey, but a psychological and spiritual one, a search for the parts of himself that were frozen in time by separation, exile, and unspoken grief.
What makes this memoir especially powerful is its emotional openness. The book doesn’t rush toward resolution; it allows the reader to sit inside uncertainty, longing, and rediscovery. The moments of connection, grief, wonder, and healing feel honest and earned, giving the story a depth that reaches far beyond a single life and speaks to the universal human search for wholeness and peace.
What makes this memoir especially powerful is its emotional openness. The book doesn’t rush toward resolution; it allows the reader to sit inside uncertainty, longing, and rediscovery. The moments of connection, grief, wonder, and healing feel honest and earned, giving the story a depth that reaches far beyond a single life and speaks to the universal human search for wholeness and peace.
November 24, 2023
a grown man returns to his homeland of cuba to revisit his past. encounters family members. shares how little it has changed over the decades. insightful. b/w images.
April 5, 2025
The writing is exquisite, and the complex characters had me hooked from start to finish. The sweet and emotional romance left me breathless
April 5, 2025
this is a good book
April 5, 2025
Amazing 🤩🔥
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2025
Very nice
April 5, 2025
I like it
May 7, 2025
Some books feel like a conversation with an old friend, a quiet invitation to sit down and unpack the past. Journey Back Into The Vault does just that, guiding readers through the winding corridors of memory with the kind of honesty that lingers. It isn’t a mere retelling of events but a process—one that feels almost like sifting through an attic filled with forgotten keepsakes, each object carrying weight, meaning, and a history waiting to be re-examined.
The way memory works is fascinating. Scientists say that every time we recall something, we don’t just replay it—we rewrite it. This book taps into that phenomenon, showing how the past is fluid, shaped not only by what happened but by who we are today. The act of remembering becomes an act of transformation, and through the pages, we see how past and present dance together, sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict.
Emotionally, the book is a quiet storm. It doesn’t demand attention with grand dramatics, but rather, it seeps in slowly. The narrative feels personal, intimate, and at times, uncomfortably familiar. It’s hard not to find echoes of one’s own experiences in these pages—the moments we revisit, the decisions we question, the nostalgia that sneaks up unexpectedly. There is a universal truth here: our pasts shape us, but how we engage with them determines who we become.
Journey Back Into The Vault isn’t a loud book, but it is a resonant one. It speaks in hushed tones, allowing readers space to reflect, to pause, and to return to their own "vaults" with fresh eyes. It’s a book that understands the weight of personal history and offers a quiet encouragement: you are not alone in this journey of remembering.
Content Advisory: This book explores themes of memory, introspection, and emotional reflection. Those who find deep self-examination challenging may want to approach with care.
The way memory works is fascinating. Scientists say that every time we recall something, we don’t just replay it—we rewrite it. This book taps into that phenomenon, showing how the past is fluid, shaped not only by what happened but by who we are today. The act of remembering becomes an act of transformation, and through the pages, we see how past and present dance together, sometimes in harmony, sometimes in conflict.
Emotionally, the book is a quiet storm. It doesn’t demand attention with grand dramatics, but rather, it seeps in slowly. The narrative feels personal, intimate, and at times, uncomfortably familiar. It’s hard not to find echoes of one’s own experiences in these pages—the moments we revisit, the decisions we question, the nostalgia that sneaks up unexpectedly. There is a universal truth here: our pasts shape us, but how we engage with them determines who we become.
Journey Back Into The Vault isn’t a loud book, but it is a resonant one. It speaks in hushed tones, allowing readers space to reflect, to pause, and to return to their own "vaults" with fresh eyes. It’s a book that understands the weight of personal history and offers a quiet encouragement: you are not alone in this journey of remembering.
Content Advisory: This book explores themes of memory, introspection, and emotional reflection. Those who find deep self-examination challenging may want to approach with care.
November 6, 2025
Mario Cartaya’s Journey Back Into the Vault is a moving, deeply personal exploration of memory, exile, and rediscovery. Written with both tenderness and courage, this memoir invites readers to accompany Cartaya on a pilgrimage not just across distance, but through time and self.
After fifty-six years away from the country of his birth, Cartaya’s return to Cuba becomes more than a physical journey it is a reclamation of identity, a search for belonging, and a heartfelt act of reconciliation. As he retraces the places and people of his lost childhood, he uncovers fragments of memory long buried beneath layers of displacement and silence.
What makes this memoir so compelling is its universal resonance. Though rooted in the Cuban exile experience, Journey Back Into the Vault speaks to anyone who has ever felt separated from their origins, or who has sought healing through understanding the past. Cartaya’s prose radiates compassion and wisdom, guiding readers through moments of laughter, sorrow, and revelation with a storyteller’s grace.
Ultimately, the book is a testament to the enduring power of memory and the human spirit’s capacity for renewal. By confronting loss and embracing forgiveness, Cartaya reminds us that coming home whether to a place or to oneself is one of life’s most profound acts of courage.
After fifty-six years away from the country of his birth, Cartaya’s return to Cuba becomes more than a physical journey it is a reclamation of identity, a search for belonging, and a heartfelt act of reconciliation. As he retraces the places and people of his lost childhood, he uncovers fragments of memory long buried beneath layers of displacement and silence.
What makes this memoir so compelling is its universal resonance. Though rooted in the Cuban exile experience, Journey Back Into the Vault speaks to anyone who has ever felt separated from their origins, or who has sought healing through understanding the past. Cartaya’s prose radiates compassion and wisdom, guiding readers through moments of laughter, sorrow, and revelation with a storyteller’s grace.
Ultimately, the book is a testament to the enduring power of memory and the human spirit’s capacity for renewal. By confronting loss and embracing forgiveness, Cartaya reminds us that coming home whether to a place or to oneself is one of life’s most profound acts of courage.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews