Diary of a Survivor: Nineteen Years in a Cuban Women's Prison

by Ana Rodriguez, Glenn Garvin

Diary of a Survivor is the story of Ana Rodriguez, a young medical student arrested by Cuba's State Security in early 1961 for her role in the anti-Castro underground. As a teenager, she had been active in the fight against the Batista dictatorship and at first welcomed Castro's triumph. But as the repressive nature of Castro's regime became ever clearer, Ana joined the fledgling struggle against Castro as well. Betrayed to the authorities by an informant, she was tried, convicted, and sentenced to thirty years in prison. Diary of a Survivor is a remarkably gripping tale in the tradition of Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number and Papillon, but with a single difference: while those books were about men, Ana Rodriguez tells the story of an utterly remarkable group of women jailed as political prisoners. Beaten, starved, threatened and bullied, locked in blackout cells for months at a time, denied water and medical treatment for long stretches, these women resisted with astonishing courage, guile, occasional violence, and an unshakable will, breaking their captors rather than being broken themselves while completely defeating the repressive apparatus of a totalitarian state.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

325 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books. I read it when it first came out and have kept it in my permanent collection. The book is bestseller worthy. Too bad more people haven't discovered Ana Rodriguez's incredible story of courage and survival.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterpiece. How can a book entitled "Diary of a Survivor: Nineteen Years in a Cuban Women's Prison" be such an enjoyable read? I don't know, but it was. I don't usually read survival memoirs for entertainment, but this book had me laughing all over the place! These women, 'las plantadas' are surely the most daring, intelligent and tenacious humans the world has ever produced. Throughout all the horrors she endured, Ana's dry wit and absolute fearlessness are unshakable. I'm still chuckling about her various accounts of outwitting the 'llaveras' at every turn and her recounting of the "rodent festivities" in her cell! I am in awe of these women and their unbreakable spirit. Wow, just wow.

Viva las plantadas!!

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Diary of a Survivor: Nineteen Years in a Cuban Women's Prison (Hardcover)
by Ana Rodriguez
A most compelling true story of a young Cuban female med student arrested and sentenced to 30 years in the Cuban Prison System! Sentenced in 1961, in a broad sweep effort by Castro to eliminate all those "revolutionaires" that fought beside him to overthrow Batista, who had now made known their dislike of Castro's programs and violence once he became in power... Cuba had 4 prisons in 1961, and by 1979, over 200. Mostly what you hear is her voice throughout the story, not talking politics or communism, but of the human spirit to withstand, and rebel against the loss of human rights and dignity. I was able to read this in one day, and I hope that you have the opportunity to pick up this endearing, spirit lifting true story. I read mine in Readers Digest "Today's Best Fiction" published in 1995.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional, sad and so very inspiring. These are the brave women that we do not hear about. They should be up front telling their stories every hour of every day! I have read this book repeatedly and find something new every time.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable book. This woman has a great memory for detail. What a life. Gives you insight onto the real situation in Cuba.

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a propulsive story with a strong voice. It was very readable—I mean this in the best way possible, especially given that I don’t normally read memoirs. This is an important memoir, accurately depicting Cuba’s history, demonstrating the gross human rights violations in Cuba and the destruction done to the country and its people by the government which all the while blames everything on the US embargo. This book, I hope, will change the minds of those who have given rock star status to cold blooded killers like Che, Fidel, and Raul.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delight. I was never bored, and Ana Rodriguez truly shines as she is sent to a woman’s prison for crimes against Cuba. Her heroic stories fighting prison guards, atrocious food, deplorable conditions.. it’s almost like you’re sitting right there with her watching it unfold.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a sad tale of this young lady's life in the Cuban Women's Prison system. The brutality she put up with, from women, is almost unbelievable. But we know it is true. How could one woman treat another with such venom? But it is also a story of survival, of hope and of perseverance. Great read.

[Vivian Caridad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiero conocer a esta señora, soy Cubana y estudie la Enfermeria acá en EUA, me gustaría conocerla. Como puedo llegar a ella? Mi teléfono : 239-200-4851 Mi nombre es Vivian C. Ortega

[Patrick McMullin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It offers valuable insight into the Cuban Revolution through the eyes of a member of the anti-Castro underground.

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself is completely engrossing, the book is a quick read. The structure however is sometimes distracting and aspects seem unrealistic. I personally preferred the abrupt gaps in the history that appeared later in the book, where without explanation of a transfer for example, she is suddenly describing life in a new prison, to the sections of the book that presented a suspiciously flawless flow in the narrative. With the focus on specific dialogue, which must have been extremely difficult to accurately recall, the book sometimes resembled a work of fiction as opposed to non-fiction. Though swearing is pervasive, it at times seems that the book was written and simplified with the intention of landing itself on student reading lists. A reasonable objective, but it colors the narrative for other readers. There is something artificial and forced about it at points, suggesting that darker aspects are being skipped over. The dialogue is also at times so witty, with the heroine doling out perfectly sarcastic comments, that it was hard not to suspect that parts of the book were dramatizations of the true events. They are entertaining and inspiring to consider, but without including moments when the heroine felt tongue-tied or when she stewed over and prepared the perfect one-liners she would deliver, it seemed more difficult to believe them. It also never includes any suggestion that certain details were difficult for her to remember, this would have also added a more realistic touch to the story. This may have been imposed by the co-author or may have come from Ana Rodriguez herself. I would understand if she unintentionally biased or even exaggerated some of her experiences in prison, given the traumatic nature of it all. I would hope however that exaggerations were not consciously made, and that the co-author wouldn't take liberty in inserting anything. There may have also been some limitations in working with a male co-author. The lack of sexual abuse makes it easier to read, but I wonder if certain stories were excluded. I dreaded it and suspected it was being alluded to at certain parts in the story.

In any case, the book is a great book, the storyline is enough. From a historical perspective, I was shocked to learn that gays were (and are?) persecuted under Castro, in many cases sent to jail and to specific work-farms. I wasn't aware of this.

[Emily May Macias · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so gut wrenching. I ugly cried for basically the entire book. These women are fierce and unwavering in their beliefs. As a Cuban woman, I was SO enraged about what they had to endure. It makes you take a look at the life you have and appreciate it that much more. While the story was tragic, the Cuban essence and personality bleeds thru every single page. I couldn’t put this down. It’s a tough but powerful read. I just want to hug all these woman and tell them what BAD ASSES they are.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tenaciousness of this woman is inspiring.