September 5, 2023 by Simon Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Victoria and her family live in Havana, Cuba in 1960, and know that things are not going to get better. Even though it means leaving behind her aunt, cousin Jackie, and grandmother, the family leaves the country with two outfits and $5 each, and start life over in a small apartment in Miami. At first, Victoria's parents don't even intend to send her to school; it's a public, co ed school, so going there would ruin her chances of finding a good husband, at least according to her mother. Her mother's family is very well-to-do, and her grandfather intends to leave his farm to Victoria, since she is the only one who cares about it. Of course, life in the US is very different; her father takes a manual labor job, even though he was a respected engineer in Cuba. Victoria goes to school, where she makes friends with Katya, who is from Russia. Because of all of the concerns about the spread of communism, no one is nice to Katya, and some students, like Rebecca, are downright horrible. Victoria wants to write to her cousin, but stamps are expensive. Jackie also wants to write, but the letters are so heavily censored that it's hard to get them out of the country. She sees that society is breaking down around her, as is her parents' marriage. Eventually, they decide to send her out of the country through Operation Peter Pan. Jackie assumes that Victoria's family has preserved their high standard of living, and is surprised to see that they are struggling. Victoria not only is feeding her family, since her mother is not used to doing housework, but also gets jobs for her and Jackie at the neighborhood market so that they can save up to bring Jackie's mother and baby brother to the US. It's a difficult time, and even one they have enough money, it's hard to find someone who can forge a passport, get it to her aunt, and get together enough money to pay for things like a flight out. With phone contact almost impossible, Victoria has to try to make connections with the Cubans in Miami to help her family. Assistance comes from an unexpected source, but will it be enough to get her family out?
Strengths: Victoria's story is based on the experience of the author's grandmother and details are provided by relatives, so there are a lot of good details about the immigration experience. My favorite part of the book, however, was how vivid the experience of being in a 1960s public school was! Home ec is a haven for Victoria, and her teacher really tries to help her out in many ways. I loved how she was so determined to help her family even though she wasn't really raised to show initiative. It's interesting that Jackie is more "modern", but isn't necessarily more resourceful because of it. Victoria's friendship with Katya is very touching, and has a nice twist. This definitely came down on the side of Castro's rule being very bad for everyone; I've seen other books that show different views of the societal changes, but it's never seemed like anyone was really a winner when Castro came to power. The longing for a country to which the family is unlikely to return is evident, but the family manages to make the best of their new situation.
Weaknesses: I thought for a moment that Victoria might get involved in something other than her family's readjustment to life in the US; it would have been interesting, but I'm not sure how that would have been included. At her grandfather's, she was very interested in horses, but there are probably not many opportunities for riding in Miami!
What I really think: Farewell, Cuba, Mi Isla is another great book about this difficult time in Cuban history to offer students along with Gonzales' The Bluest Sky, Manzano's Coming Up Cuban, Castellano's Isla to Island (all 2022), Cuevas' 2021 Cuba in My Pocket, and Gonzales' 2010 The Red Umbrella. I'd still like to see a depiction of the Brigadista movement from a Cuban writer, since that is such a complex cultural occurence, and I would also like to see a book about a modern girl of Cuban descent who maybe gets to go back to the island with a grandparent and get introduced to the past that way. That could be interesting.
Weaknesses: I thought for a moment that Victoria might get involved in something other than her family's readjustment to life in the US; it would have been interesting, but I'm not sure how that would have been included. At her grandfather's, she was very interested in horses, but there are probably not many opportunities for riding in Miami!
What I really think: Farewell, Cuba, Mi Isla is another great book about this difficult time in Cuban history to offer students along with Gonzales' The Bluest Sky, Manzano's Coming Up Cuban, Castellano's Isla to Island (all 2022), Cuevas' 2021 Cuba in My Pocket, and Gonzales' 2010 The Red Umbrella. I'd still like to see a depiction of the Brigadista movement from a Cuban writer, since that is such a complex cultural occurence, and I would also like to see a book about a modern girl of Cuban descent who maybe gets to go back to the island with a grandparent and get introduced to the past that way. That could be interesting.
The Jockey and Her Horse (Once Upon a Horse #2): Inspired by the True Story of the First Black Female Jockey, Cheryl White
September 5, 2023 by Cameron Kids
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Cheryl White was born in 1953 and grew up in rural Ohio near Shawnee State Park. Her parents had a racing stable, and she spent a lot of time riding as well as taking care of horses. Even though she harbored the secret thought that she might grow up to be a jockey, in the 1960s it was more likely that her younger brother, Drew, would fulfill this dream, and her father acted accordingly. Cheryl's family was somewhat unusual in that her father was Black and her mother was white; at the time, their marriage would have been illegal in many places. In addition to bein ginterested in horses, Cheryl was a very gifted student who participated in It's Academic, a television quiz show. Her best friend, Earlene, whose parents were both Black, was on the quiz show team as well. Since there were other women who were trying to get into racing at the time, Cheryl was very motivated to hone her skills and to argue with her parents, as well as local authorities, to be allowed to race. She had a horse whom she loved, Jetolara, but had to do most of her facing with one of her father's horses, Ace Reward. During her senior year of high school, Cheryl had two very appealing propositions; she could race at Thistledown near Cleveland on June 15, but also represent her school in an international competition in Dakar, Sengal on June 17! Luckily, the people in her life supported her in her endeavors, and she was able to compete in both.
September 5, 2023 by Cameron Kids
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Cheryl White was born in 1953 and grew up in rural Ohio near Shawnee State Park. Her parents had a racing stable, and she spent a lot of time riding as well as taking care of horses. Even though she harbored the secret thought that she might grow up to be a jockey, in the 1960s it was more likely that her younger brother, Drew, would fulfill this dream, and her father acted accordingly. Cheryl's family was somewhat unusual in that her father was Black and her mother was white; at the time, their marriage would have been illegal in many places. In addition to bein ginterested in horses, Cheryl was a very gifted student who participated in It's Academic, a television quiz show. Her best friend, Earlene, whose parents were both Black, was on the quiz show team as well. Since there were other women who were trying to get into racing at the time, Cheryl was very motivated to hone her skills and to argue with her parents, as well as local authorities, to be allowed to race. She had a horse whom she loved, Jetolara, but had to do most of her facing with one of her father's horses, Ace Reward. During her senior year of high school, Cheryl had two very appealing propositions; she could race at Thistledown near Cleveland on June 15, but also represent her school in an international competition in Dakar, Sengal on June 17! Luckily, the people in her life supported her in her endeavors, and she was able to compete in both.
Strengths: Cheryl White was only 65 when she passed away in 2019, so it was good to see that her brother Drew was involved in this project. Author Nir wrote her own story in The Flying Horse, so has a background in equestrian matters. Even though I live in Ohio (I know, for example, that Shawnee State Park has horse trails!), and Ms. White was only a dozen years older than I am, I had never heard of her. In addition to a great horse story, this makes clear the sort of gender and racial hurdles that White had to face in order to achieve her dreams, and I loved the strength and positivity that she showed despite what must have seemed like insurmountable obstacles at times. She has support from family and teachers, and her friendship with Earlene is great. I wasn't expecting so many details about Senegalese culture and the history of the slave trade, so that was an added bonus. I'd really like to know more about US students traveling to Africa in the 1960s; I had a cousin go to Kenya in an agricultural exchange at that time. I'm curious to see what book Nir will write next.
Weaknesses: While the horse information was quite good, and there were just enough details of daily life in the 1960s, the style was a little more didactic than many middle grade novels, perhaps due to the author's adult, nonfiction background. I'm not sure that young horse fans will notice.
What I really think: These small horse books offer some more diversity than is found in other similar stories and are a good addition to a collection that includes Hapka's Horse Diaries. I have readers this year who don't want to read anything BUT horse books, so I will definitely be purchasing, and the historical setting will give this book some staying power.
Weaknesses: While the horse information was quite good, and there were just enough details of daily life in the 1960s, the style was a little more didactic than many middle grade novels, perhaps due to the author's adult, nonfiction background. I'm not sure that young horse fans will notice.
What I really think: These small horse books offer some more diversity than is found in other similar stories and are a good addition to a collection that includes Hapka's Horse Diaries. I have readers this year who don't want to read anything BUT horse books, so I will definitely be purchasing, and the historical setting will give this book some staying power.
No comments:
Post a Comment