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Rating: 
Summary: A gripping, eye-opening and inspirational true story
Review: Before I read this book, I had only a the vaguest of notions about what happened in Cuba forty years ago. Living in Australia, I was aware that it had been a time of crisis for the USA, but I knew nothing of the heroic story of the patriotic and courageous band of Cubans who undertook a doomed mission to overthrow the Castro regime.Karen Alea's story of "Pepin" Almeida, a doctor and one of the leaders of the Cuban rebels, brings that significant episode to life in a very graphic manner. She successfully takes us inside the mind of this man, exploring his motivation and his reactions to the tragic outcome of the mission. Her description of the horrendous days of wandering in the swamps before the band of dispirited men were taken prisoner is very well executed, as is the story of their incarceration, and the cruel mental torture they suffered. Pepin Almeida emerges as a deeply spiritual man whose strong faith is very inspiring to the reader, whatever his/her own faith may be. Yet at the same time he is a very well-rounded person with endearing ordinary qualities. The story of his wife, Toty, while secondary to the main storyline, is also most inspirational. Karen Alea has an engaging style and a gift for making people and situations very real to the reader. More from this author, please!
Rating:
Summary: A gripping, eye-opening and inspirational true story
Review: Before I read this book, I had only a the vaguest of notions about what happened in Cuba forty years ago. Living in Australia, I was aware that it had been a time of crisis for the USA, but I knew nothing of the heroic story of the patriotic and courageous band of Cubans who undertook a doomed mission to overthrow the Castro regime. Karen Alea's story of "Pepin" Almeida, a doctor and one of the leaders of the Cuban rebels, brings that significant episode to life in a very graphic manner. She successfully takes us inside the mind of this man, exploring his motivation and his reactions to the tragic outcome of the mission. Her description of the horrendous days of wandering in the swamps before the band of dispirited men were taken prisoner is very well executed, as is the story of their incarceration, and the cruel mental torture they suffered. Pepin Almeida emerges as a deeply spiritual man whose strong faith is very inspiring to the reader, whatever his/her own faith may be. Yet at the same time he is a very well-rounded person with endearing ordinary qualities. The story of his wife, Toty, while secondary to the main storyline, is also most inspirational. Karen Alea has an engaging style and a gift for making people and situations very real to the reader. More from this author, please!
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