Nick Verdino’s Reviews > Leaving Glorytown: One Boy's Struggle Under Castro > Status Update

Eduardo is as against the revolution as someone could be. He was in a debate with his cousin as to why it was so horrible, and his cousin just wouldn't agree with him. "You don't care if people get hurt. You don't care if families are torn apart." (178) The Communists leading the revolution were truly horrible people in my opinion. They only did what they did for the good of themselves, not for the average people.

Eduardo and his family have been waiting for the telegram to come for a long time now. This telegram would give them permission to leave Cuba and escape Castro's rule. "I realized we'd been waiting for our telegram for nearly a year." (128) It's hard to imagine not being able to leave a country. They were practically stranded on an island and there was nothing they could do about. This is crazy for me to think about.

On page 98, Eduardo began to complain about his life. It had been hard since Castro came to power, but he had remained strong. When he started to complain, his Mother said a very wise statement. "... no more complaining. Complaining is a sign of weakness" (98) I think that I can sometimes complain a lot, and this quote made me think about it. It made me want to appreciate what I have more.

Eduardo and his family show great courage and strength throughout this novel. On page 77, Eduardo's Father was taken away by the government. He was taken away for no reason besides the fact that they were corrupt. "'Here I am,' he said." Papa turned himself in to protect his family. The rest of the family had to remain as strong as possible after he was taken away, and they managed to do it so far.

It's hard for me to imagine what Cubans had and have to go through. I can't begin to think about what it feels like to be forced out of your homes or have to stop celebrations because of corrupt leaders. On page 29, Eduardo and his family were celebrating, and they were stopped by a group of thugs sent by the government. "That was when I realized we had been invaded" (29)

This book is about how a kid escapes Cuba under Castro, and I am excited to read it because my Grandfather did the same thing when he was a kid. He tells me stories about how corrupt Castro was, and the author of this novel agrees. "Whether you're with him or against him, chances are you're going to end up dead" (25) It's hard to imagine that people had to live under a communist like Castro.