"Abeautifully imagined, carefully researched, and masterfully edited oralhistory. Readers will share the struggles of those who made the journey fromCastro's Cuba and changed the United States."--Steve Kroft, longtime CBS 60 Minutes correspondent "Powell expertly weaves the history of early post-revolutionexiles with the voices of those who experienced these events. This enriches ourunderstanding of the revolutionary process and its aftermath as it humanizesthe often misunderstood and at times maligned Cuban exiles."--María de losÁngeles Torres, author of The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, CubanChildren in the U.S., and the Promise of a Better Future "Providesa unique and engrossing perspective on the lived experience of the hundreds ofthousands of people who fled Cuba to evade Fidel Castro's oppressive regime. Anexcellent demonstration of the power of oral history.

These stories add richdetail to the events of that tumultuous period."--Tom Fiedler, former executiveeditor, Miami Herald ;dean emeritus, Boston University College of Communication "Thisbook is a powerful historical testament to the first waves of Cuban Americanimmigrants. It is clear proof of their parents' and grandparents' struggles andperseverance to survive in the face of adversity in a new homeland while neverforgetting their love and passion for the country they left behind."--JoséManuel García, author of Voicesfrom Mariel: Oral Histories of the 1980 Cuban Boatlift "Through a combination of storytelling and oral history, Powellexplores the Cuban exile experience chiefly through the voices of exilesthemselves. Their accounts invite us to consider the importance and challenges ofmemory as a vehicle for understanding the history of the Cuban Revolution."--MichaelJ. Bustamante, author of CubanMemory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile "The Cuban diaspora is an epic of heroic deeds,thrilling escapes, and dangerous journeys to a new land. But it's also anintensely personal story, as David Powell ably conveys in his oral history toldby Cuban exiles themselves.

These vivid accounts remind us that history islived by ordinary people, whose memories are invaluable."--Alfredo JoséEstrada, author of Havana: Autobiography of a City.