Real Life in Castro's Cuba

(Paperback)

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Description

This new book provides a first-hand, grassroots look at life in Cuba, including very vivid descriptions of its people and places. Real Life in Castro's Cuba illuminates the human face of Cuba, which over the years has largely been hidden in the shadow of Fidel Castro. Real Life in Castro's Cuba is written by Catherine Moses, who lived and worked in Cuba as a press secretary and spokesperson for the United States from 1995 to 1996. This compelling, compassionate portrait contains personal observations about the Cubans' struggles, triumphs, hopes, and daily compromises to survive. The Cuban population lives with a deteriorating infrastructure, forcing many hardships on the people, including a scarcity of food, fuel, clothing, medicines, and other basic needs. The author's detailed cultural account of Cuba introduces the reader to everyday Cubans from party officials to dissidents to everyone in between. It shows how Cuba's socialist system works and gives reasons why Fidel Castro is still in power. Real Life in Castro's Cuba also describes the significant role of religion and spirituality in the life of Cubans. Although Moses expresses regret over the state of U.S.- Cuban relations, the purpose of the book is not to choose up sides. Instead, the book is designed simply to introduce readers to real life in Cuba. The book's unique approach allows an intimate picture of life in a faded Marxist regime. As the author writes, Cuba is a curious mixture of Spanish Caribbean, socialist ideals gone awry, memories of what was, and a desperate need to survive. This fascinating new book will appeal to all readers who are interested in getting a closer look at what life is like in Cuba today.

Reviews

An excellent, detailed account of daily life in the deteriorating communist country. * Publishers Weekly *
Especially timely in light of the Elian Gonzales affair, a former U.S. spokesperson in Havana conveys her impression of the strong spirit of Cuban citizens given the contradictory realities of the Revolution. * Reference and Research Book News *
We readers are the beneficiaries of Moses's deep understanding of the Cuban people and the political, economic, and social transformation they are carrying out against the will of their government. -- Richard A. Nuccio, President Clinton's special advisor for Cuba from 19951996
Catherine Moses clearly put her two years as 'Our Woman in Havana' to good use, developing a solid understanding of Cuba's faded dreams of a socialist utopia and gathering wonderfully human anecdotes about daily life. -- Juan O. Tamayo, Latin American correspondent, The Miami Herald
A heartfelt account of the daunting trials that confront the Cuban people, written with passion and affection. -- Ann Louise Bardach, contributing editor, Vanity Fair
An unusually insightful, and brutally candid book. Moses offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at a turning point in the history of Cuba. Her intellectual honesty, her engaging humor, and her deep love for Cuba and the Cubans ooze from every page. It is a bittersweet account that captures graphically the haunting surrealism of the Cuban existence. -- Franklin W. Knight, Johns Hopkins University
Beautifully written, evocative and lyrical at the same time that it is chock full of information and local texture. -- Stanley Fish, University of Illinois at Chicago

Author Bio

Catherine Moses is assistant professor of government and sociology at Georgia College and State University.