My Lost Cuba

Gonzalez-Falla takes us back to the Cuba of the ’50s near the end of Batista’s reign in this middling period novel. Mike Rodriguez, studying for his MBA in the U.S., returns home to his family’s ranch in Cuba after hearing that the health of his widower father, Don Miguel, seems to be deteriorating. He finds his university friend Paulino, who’s hiding from Batista’s men, taking care of Don Miguel, and realizes that his father isn’t physically ill, just deeply dispirited. Change enters the three men’s lives, seemingly for the better: Mike realizes how much he missed life on the ranch; Don Miguel starts dating a younger woman who works; Paulino begins writing again and gets some attention for his stories. In the meantime, Julio, Mike’s brother, urges their father to modernize and invest in American business. Set against an exciting moment in history, the book promises a look into a country that is now exotic to most Americans, as well as an exploration of universal hopes, dreams, and family ties. Unfortunately, the flat prose and dialogue don’t draw readers into the story, despite Gonzalez-Falla’s undoubtedly personal investment in the material (he was exiled from Cuba in 1961). (Oct.)