90 Miles to Havana Paperback – September 18, 2012

I am a Cuban exile who has lived in Miami for many years. I was lucky enough to be able to come to the States with my mother at the age of nine and three younger siblings, after my father left via a clandestine route because he opposed the revolution. Looking back, I can only imagine the harrowing ordeal my mother went through hoping she would not be stopped before we were all able to get away safely. Nonetheless, at the time I felt we were living an adventure and I personally felt totally protected at my young mother's side. After all these years I thought no one could tell me anything I did not know about the Cuban revolution...Reading Enrique's novel on this the 50th anniversary of Pedro Pan brought a knot to my throat when I saw an example of what many children who were not so lucky as I, had to undergo to be able to live something we take for granted, a normal life in freedom. The author is a master story-teller who keeps you on the edge of your seat, unable to put the book down from cover-to-cover. He has undoubtedly and successfully transferred his portrait painting experience from the plastic arts to the literary arena. He clearly delineates the personalities of all the characters until you feel you know them. You empathize with Julian growing up turbo-speed out of necessity, honing his artistic sensibilities and noble personality without caving-in under pressure. Another trait that is very much part of the Cuban personality is the ingenuity shown by all of the characters. Necessity is the mother of invention. This is something that is very patent on the island today as the Cuban people are forced to make-do without any resources and it is also a very big reason why Miami has become an international hub after the Cuban influx, at which time it was just a sleepy beach town and retirement community.Many kudos to Flores-Jenkins on a job well done. He has proven his mettle and I expect his future works will build on this one and surpass it. I am looking forward to the next one.

Dear All, It is with a great sense of pride, admiration, awe and (I have to admit) a little jealousy that I call your attention to my brother Enrique's second book, "90 Miles to Havana." "Raining Sardines," his first book, published in 2007, earned a prestigious "America's Award," for young adult fiction based in Latin America. "90 Miles to Havana," is Enrique's autobiographical account of his and his two older brother's experiences after being sent to a refugee camp in the US by our parents to escape Castro's totalitarian dictatorship. In "90 Miles to Havana," Enrique does a masterful job of capturing the essence of what the three brothers went through and uses his vivid imagination and descriptive talent to make the characters come alive and add dimension to the events. His characterization of my brother, Fernando, ("Gordo") and I, ("Alquilino") and our relationship, is right on the money. Speaking as an older brother who, according to the Laws of Birth Order, was responsible for "tormenting" my younger siblings, I can proudly claim that in some small way I helped shape their personality. Although Enrique is a prize winning, and highly regarded portrait painter, and engaging lecturer in the fine arts, the publication of "90 Miles to Havana" and "Raining Sardines," confirmed what I have known for many years, he is, above all, a spellbinding storyteller. Anyway, enough fawning put down whatever Stieg Larsson novel you may be reading at the moment and pick up "90 Miles to Havana". You'll be glad you did. Right from the very first page you'll be enthralled, swept into a story of political upheaval, sibling rivalry, good vs. evil, greed, corruption, passionate romance, all fueled by the nostril flaring hot Latin tempers of the book's central characters, Julian, el "Gordo" and me, "Alquilino."Seriously pick up the book, you will not be able to put it down. Happy readingSee you soon. --Anibal/AlquilinoEnrique [email protected]

I was thoroughly engaged by the characters and the story in 90 Miles to Havana. This is a coming of age story of a young boy and a special group of Cuban children who had to re-invent themselves in a hurry when circumstances pushed them across a bridge between two very different worlds. The author manages to entertain as he gives a personal account of a painful historical time that is either not well-known or misunderstood: the exile of over 14,000 unaccompanied minors at the beginning of Castro's dictatorship in Cuba. I particularly liked how Flores-Galbis manages to convey how the main character is quickly transformed from child to man by forces from within and outside, but without allowing his childhood to be completely taken away from him. This author is an excellent portrait artist in real life and his supporting characters are as finely fleshed out as his paintings. I particularly appreciated the clever girls who were also caring, brave and important in their own right. This is a story that can be enjoyed by young readers as well as by adults who might be inspired to remember the events that made us grow up.

This was a Battle of the Books selection in NC for middle school this year. The story follows Julian, a boy who is sent away from Cuba after a revolution. The book is has multiple layers that you can dive into with middle school or high school readers. You can enjoy the historical aspect or explore the characterizations and growth or examine character interactions. It's got enough action for it to stay lively but not so much that it becomes an action-adventure novel. Lovely story, would definitely recommend, especially to middle schoolers.