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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 - 12 of 12 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.
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.
November 13, 2025
Journey Back Into The Vault: In Search of My Faded Cuban Childhood Footprints by Mario Cartaya is an exquisitely written, deeply personal memoir that transcends nostalgia to become a profound meditation on identity, exile, and the healing power of memory.
Cartaya’s journey back to Cuba after fifty-six years is not just a physical return, it’s an emotional excavation of a life interrupted. Through vivid storytelling and heartfelt reflection, he invites readers to walk with him through the homes, schools, and neighborhoods that once shaped his childhood, now haunted by the ghosts of separation and time. His prose captures both the ache of loss and the wonder of rediscovery, making this memoir a rare gift of vulnerability and courage.
Beyond the personal narrative, Cartaya explores universal themes of belonging, reconciliation, and transformation. His account of reconnecting with family, honoring ancestors, and confronting forgotten memories becomes a mirror through which readers can examine their own histories and hopes. At its core, Journey Back Into The Vault is a story about how memory, no matter how deeply buried, can be the key to peace, forgiveness, and self-actualization.
A masterful blend of emotional honesty and literary grace, this memoir will resonate with anyone who has ever longed to reconnect with their roots or make peace with their past.
Cartaya’s journey back to Cuba after fifty-six years is not just a physical return, it’s an emotional excavation of a life interrupted. Through vivid storytelling and heartfelt reflection, he invites readers to walk with him through the homes, schools, and neighborhoods that once shaped his childhood, now haunted by the ghosts of separation and time. His prose captures both the ache of loss and the wonder of rediscovery, making this memoir a rare gift of vulnerability and courage.
Beyond the personal narrative, Cartaya explores universal themes of belonging, reconciliation, and transformation. His account of reconnecting with family, honoring ancestors, and confronting forgotten memories becomes a mirror through which readers can examine their own histories and hopes. At its core, Journey Back Into The Vault is a story about how memory, no matter how deeply buried, can be the key to peace, forgiveness, and self-actualization.
A masterful blend of emotional honesty and literary grace, this memoir will resonate with anyone who has ever longed to reconnect with their roots or make peace with their past.
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.
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.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews