cover image Disidentes de Cuba: Las Voces Que Castro No Ha Podido Silenciar

Disidentes de Cuba: Las Voces Que Castro No Ha Podido Silenciar

Carles Llorens, Claudia Pujol. Deria Editors, $22.99 (269pp) ISBN 978-84-95400-45-1

Prompted by the February 2008 announcement that Fidel Castro would not resume the leadership of his country, this collection of interviews with prominent dissidents was produced in a matter of months by two Catalan authors/politicians and published simultaneously in Catalan and Spanish. Those interviewed range from Cuban expatriates in Miami to exiles based in Europe and, most remarkably, dissidents still in Cuba. The book shows signs of its rushed production schedule, with some questionable editing and hasty opinions regarding the island's future. The collection's strengths lie in the inclusion of many different voices of the dissident movement, as well as a clear depiction of their lack of agreement on the changes needed in Cuba. In all, the book serves as a history of dissent after the revolution, of the people involved, and of the foundations and associations that have become instrumental in fomenting and structuring these movements (mainly the Cuban-American National Foundation and the Cuban Liberty Council). Despite its limitations and declared partiality, this book is strongly recommended for all libraries, especially university and those having Cuban American readership, as well as bookstores.-Sophie Lavoie, Univ. of New Brunswick, Fredericton