Description
Bookended with an introduction and epilogue, Cooke describes her time spent in Cuba. She interviews Cubanos who only knew life under Fidel Castro's rule, and describes Cuban life before and after capitalism--the "graying" of Cuba as the young and ambitious leave for greener pastures; relaxation of laws as extended visas are now offered to the inhabitants; the story of an exodus, if not physical, mental, as the internet provides a window to the rest of the world. But there are cautions even under Raul, even as every five-year plan shifts more towards the outside world. There is a bibliography. Annotation ©2014 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)
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"Over a period of five years, beginning when Fidel Castro stepped down from his presidency after almost a half-century of reign, journalist Julia Cooke embedded herself in Cuba, gaining access to a dynamic Havana--one that she found populated with twenty-five-year-old Marxist philosophy students, baby-faced anarchists, children of the whiskey-drinking elite, Santerâia trainees, pregnant prostitutes, and more. Combining intimate storytelling with in-depth reportage, The Other Side of Paradise weaves together stories of the Cubans whom Cooke encountered, providing a vivid and unprecedented look into the daily lives and future prospects of young people in Cuba today. From ambitious Lucâia, a recent university graduate with an acerbic sense of humor and plans to leave Cuba for the first country to give her a visa, if she can just get the roadblocks out of the way--to a crew of mohawk-wearing teenage anarchists who toss bricks at police cars and cite lyrics by The Clash (but don't know the lead singer's name), the characters of The Other Side of Paradise paint a captivating portrait of Cuban culture and the emerging legacy of Fidel Castro's failed promises. Eye-opening and politically prescient, The Other Side of Paradise is sure to linger in readers' minds long after they've finished reading"--
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