Cuba Diaries

(Paperback)

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

A unique and revelatory first-hand account of life in post-Cold War Cuba. The face of modern-day Cuba is in many respects still frozen in the 1950s, with its classic American cars, horse-drawn carriages and colonial Spanish architecture. In a country where taxi drivers earn more than doctors, understanding Cuba is a compelling but never-ending task. In the early 1990s, after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Cuba was plunged into crisis. Having been subsidized by the Soviet Union to the tune of $3 million a day, the country's economy entered freefall. The ban on the US dollar was lifted, the floodgates of tourism opened and the salaries of Cubans in contact with foreigners went into orbit. Into Castro's fortress of dollar-fuelled hedonism and communist austerity came the American wife of a European energy consultant posted to Havana, and their two small children. Isadora Tattlin befriended Cubans from all walks of life, gave dozens of parties - even Fidel Castro came to dinner! - and kept a daily diary. The result is a remarkable testimony to a unique period in Cuba's history when el triunfo de la revolucion was beginning to clash with the powerful lure of multinational consumerism.

Reviews

'A sensitive fish-out-of-water narrative - throughout she's attuned to the surreal, mock-1950s domestic atmosphere and the way that Cuba's prickly international relations seem to revolve around not hurting the regime's feelings. Deft evocations of the island's sensual promise and oppressive reality' * Kirkus Reviews *
'A vivid and unusual perspective - well written and enjoyable' * Library Journal *
Tattlin's adventures are captivating...[Her] observations are witty and compassionate and the journal is filled with colourful descriptions of the exotic landscape and the charming affability of its people. * Waterstones Books Quarterly *
'Fascinating and indelible images of the everyday reality' * USA Today *
'A good Havana cigar is one that bends, Tattlin learns: fakes break in half scattering dry and tasteless flakes. This journal, surely, is the real thing, packed with flavour, rounded, full and smouldering.' * Daily Telegraph *

Author Bio

Isadora Tattlin was born and raised in California and spent her early adulthood in New York City. She lives wherever her husband's job takes them and their two young children.