Nuno

by Carlos Aleman

In the town of Guanajay, Cuba in 1945, a young girl named Gabriela tells her childhood friend, Nuno, to steal one of her father’s books, a guide to loving and fully appreciating women. After Nuno takes the book home and reads it, the world soon begins to look very different, with one particular day turning to night, fireflies lighting up the sky like stars, and Gabriella appearing to him as an angelic being with wings. Separated by events beyond their control, Nuno and Gabriela grow older yet remain somehow connected to one another, making their story extraordinary and unforgettable.

236 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Brittany Sanford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just started reading this book.

I am falling under the spell of Nuno already.

[Suset · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book a few weeks ago with the intent to read it as soon as my classes were over. It took a couple days but yesterday I finally had the chance to crack it open. I read it in a day. I spent the night trying to come up with the words that could sufficiently describe what I read and the emotions that seized me while I sat for hours in my room completely enraptured by one of the greatest love stories I have ever read. I fear that even with all my hours of contemplation on what this review would hold, all my thoughts would be inadequate in fully projecting to you the splendor held between both covers of Nuno. Influences of authors like Neruda, and Marquez come to mind, within its proses full of love, despair, and hope, but interestingly it is authors Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama that are most reminiscent due to the wisdom and insight of life Carlos infuses within the story in a way that is both subtle and eye opening. There were times I felt I was reading a soundtrack to a movie, the words as notes undulating, taking me with it on a melodious journey from hope to despair to wonderment. It is as if the author has poured his soul, intact, beautifully, in a book and it is a gift to all of us. One we should treasure and one I will share most certainly with others, for it would be a great loss for a story so exquisitely written to ebb into obscurity.

[Jeanenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books are read, while other books are experienced. Nuno falls into the latter category. I started out reading Nuno, however once I finished, I realized that, ultimately, I EXPERIENCED Nuno. The story flows effortlessly through the life of Nuno, starting as a young boy living in the countryside of Cuba and taking us with him as he navigates adulthood, love and spirituality with the Cuban Revolution shaping the trajectory of his story. Author Carlos Aleman writes the story of a humble man whose indomitable spirit and heart elevates him to that of a legend that any man would admire and that any woman would desire. Nuno’s story will remain in your heart and mind long after the last page is read.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos' book, Nuno, sustains a haunting beauty in meaning and tone. Bearing the unmistakable signature of someone else I know, Pablo Neruda. What one comes to realize from these prose pieces is how conscious and astute Carlos' choices are. His playful and bonding characters, and how the mystery and discovery unfolds through each chapter is breathtakingly beautiful. The healing of love provides even the darkest of days, and manifests the anomaly of the human experience.

Exquisitely written and can't wait for it to actually have rights in Canada.
Thank you Carlos, for this inspiring tale.