Caribbean Books

Almost forty years ago my wife escaped from Cuba as a young child, with her parents and younger brother. Since then, she has often recounted the trauma of this escape, and the struggles her family faced in rebuilding their lives in Spain - and subsequently here in Australia.

As she read this book she was astonished at the uncanny similarity between the author's experiences and those of her own family. Luis's story rekindled many distant, yet defining, memories, sights, smells, and feelings. To learn that her own story has been 'shared' and now 'told' (almost exactly!) was both a surprise, and perhaps more importantly, a visible comfort.

There seems to be a growing amount of misinformation about the Cuban people today, but as someone who has heard this true story (for over twenty years now) I recommend this narrative as a clear and accurate part of the "true story" of Cuba. The horrors, fears and terrible emotional abuse revealed here may shock some readers, but they are NOT exaggerated. (My wife's father almost died in the Cuban labour camps after seeking permission to leave.) People who experience REAL trauma rarely embellish 'their story' - because sympathy without understanding does not bring true healing. (There's a big difference between emotion and community.) A glipse into the author's own sense of community is seen in moving dedication of the book - "to those who choose to live in exile."

Luis's style is warm and engaging; he has a sharp eye for those little details that "set the trees swaying" in a narrative. He is also a shrewd observer and recorder of human nature - with an almost 'Dickensian' ability to highlight those easily-overlooked character traits that define individuals. I remember my wife laughing as she read his vivid account of that delightfully Cuban "nothing is impossible" attitude. She read the passage, smiled with recognition, and said, "That's EXACTLY how they are."

Luis M. Garcia is a gifted Cuban-Australian (you read that correctly, Cuban-Australian not Cuban-American) author. In his book Child of the Revolution we see what it was like to grow up in the 60s in Cuba. Since it's told from the perspective of a young boy, the story is reminiscent of the excellent book "Waiting for Snow in Havana" by Carlos Eire. Where the books are different is that Eire saw the changes from pre-Revolutionary Cuba to Revolutionary Cuba and describes them in great detail. Garcia, on the other hand, was born in 1959, the same year Castro took power, and thus had no knowledge of that pre-Castro Cuba other than what his parents told him. In fact Garcia describes that period in his life as "a battle between Castro and my parents for the mind of an 11 year old." With this book and his blog Luis M. Garcia proves that Castro's critics aren't just in Miami. Cubans have been scattered around the globe thanks to Castro's brutal dictatorship.

Highly recommended.

I think this book is the best poems book that i have read,it express itself all the things you want to read either when you are feeling down or when you are feeling great, it told me a lot of things,it simply makes somebody believe in love,only for the deep meaning of every single word described on each poem....

I thinl this book is the best poems book that i have read,it express itself all the things you want to read either when you are feeling down or when you are feeling great, it told me a lot of things,it simply makes somebody believe in love,only for the deep meaning of every single word described on each poem....

I bought these books for my 12yr old daughter. She's a huge POTC fan & has gobbled these books down. Now she has the whole set (9 in all). She enjoyed them immensely & wishes more were available.

I've read the entire series of the Jack Sparrow books to my son. I've had a blast reading them! I think I might like them more than he does...and he's nine! I love the humor of Jack-just like the Jack Johnny Depp plays in the movies. The books are funny and exciting, edge-of-my-son's-seat type of excitement. We've shared many laughs while reading them together.

In The City of Gold, Captain Jack and the crew of the Barnacle are in search of their first mate, Arabella. As they search the silver city of New Orleans the encounter the beautiful and dangerous Madame Minuit and her pirate brood! The evil Madame plans to mine the city for her own selfish needs.
Wonderful read and can't wait for Volume 8!

The story of the first Spanish settlement in the New World and its relationship with the local Taino Indians on Hispanola. Established by Columbus in 1493 the settlement faced hard times to carve out an existence in a new land. This story uses archeological evidence and other sources to tell the story. A fascinating history that is both obscure, small and very colorful.

Seth J. Frantzman

I read it in three days.

A must have book for anyone interested in the Conquista and early colonization of the Caribbean and America in General. I also believe that anyone interested in the life and deeds of Christopher Columbus should read this work.

The authors' combination of archaeological excavation with documentary research is excellent and should serve as an example for future research projects. Furthermore, some of the discoveries they made will be quite unexpected and surprising for the general public, and even for those familiar with their work.

Despite the fact that both Deagan and Cruxent are highly regarded experts in Caribbean archaeology, they have written a book that can be enjoyed by the general public.

Its a great book in a field with very few references ( the trailer ) .
As a hollywood trailer researcher was very useful for me .
Congratulations to Lisa Kernan !

No matter whether you're a film professor, film industry professional, or just plain moviegoer, you'll never look at a trailer (movie preview) the same after reading this book. Written with academic rigor and thoroughness, it explains how previews came to referred to as trailers and analyzes trailers for their intended affect, subtext, and demographic. The book follows the author's passion for examining " the hypothetical spectator that can be read within the trailer texts themselves: an "audience study" who can read through the looking glass of the Hollywood film industry." She submits case studies of some 30 trailers, from Casablanca to Paper Moon to Air Force One, dividing them into three eras. By the end of the book you'll really appreciate these free mini-movie/commercials that we all alternately enjoy and hate yet use to decide whether to see a movie or not.

This is the best guide for Carribean Cruises! I checked out others before ordering this one and this one was the most comprehensive. I have never been on a cruise before but, after reading this book, I feel very prepared!

I'm in the travel industry and am oftentimes disappointed by the out-of-date information found in other cruise guides. I consider The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises, however, to be one of the absolute best resources to use when planning a cruise vacation. The guide has a great layout, is highly accurate, and provides the kind of information useful to both novice and "expert" cruisers.

In my opinion, The Complete Guide to Caribbean Cruises is a must read for anyone considering a cruise!

If you want great puertorican recipes, this is the book to buy. Great recipes, it reminds you of grandma's cooking.

This little cookbook is a work of art. As you read the recipes, all taken from San Germán local residents, you begin to get the varied flavors and influences of Puerto Rican foods in general, and local foods western part of the Island in detail. The illustrations are beautifully done, and Mrs. Vivoni's verses are the perfect accompaniment for this work of love. The recipes work, too! They were all tested and quantified. If you don't read Spanish, buy the English version. It's just as good.

This is a tremendously readable academic text. It is accesible enough for a layperson and very useful for academics.
Each spiritual tradition is placed within its historical and cultural context, and the authors very effectively trace their evolution based on the available sources.
I was especially pleased that they even mentioned some of the changes and adaptations that the traditions have experienced due to the migration of practitioners outside of the Caribbean.
An excellent place to start learning about Creole religions.

"Creole Religions of the Caribbean: An Introduction from Vodou and Santeria, to Obeah and Espiritismo (Religion, Race and Ethnicity" provides an excellent, scholarly over view of many religions and paths based on African Traditional Religion (ATR). This book paints a very clear portrait of what all of these practices have in common with each other and with ATR as well as how they differ. Anyone who studies Pan-African religions, comparative religion, African mythology and folklore or alternative spirituality, as well as those engaged in Caribbean studies will find "Creole Religions of the Caribbean" of great interest. There is no need to languish in mystery on these topics with such a solid piece of research as this on hand to resource. Written by two university professors "Creole Religons of the Caribbean" is not for the faint-hearted or light reader; this is the real deal.

More than humor, I remember this book for its poignancy, the effects on a young girl of her own culture (black, Caribbean) being denigrated and other cultures and anything associated with whiteness and England being praised. So touching was the scene where Tee is playing with dolls; so telling is her idealization of the dolls' world and the juxtaposition with her own.

Everyone wants the best for their children; this book examines how people decide what is best and how these preconceptions affect the very children they love and want to protect.

This is one of the rolicking, humorous West Indian novels in the vein of V.S. Naipaul's Miguel Street, Alvin Bennet's God, the Stonebreaker, Austin Clarke's Amongst the Thistles and Torns, and A House for Mr. Bishwas. It captures the bitter-sweet experiences of a little girl growing up in Trnidad and Tobago. An excellent Caribbean novel.

This study of the religious practices of a single Santeria priest in Cuba is a phenomenal immersion experience for the reader. The photographs by Anneke Wambaugh, an independent scholar and documentary photographer, and her collaborator, the photographer Claire Garoutte, are stunning. The narrative is immensely readable in spite of being highly informed by the scholarly literature on African and Afro-Cuban art and religion. Wambaugh and Garoutte treat a a culture that is alien to most, and will be disturbing to many, with the utmost respect. This book will appeal to readers who are interested in Cuba, religious rituals, African art, Afro-Cuban art, documentary photography, and participatory research of all kinds.

A VERY INTERESTING BOOK INTO THE WORLDS OF SANTERIA, PALE MONTE AND ESPIRITISMO AND THE AFRO-CUBAN RELIGIONS