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Eight
towns
in the Farmington Valley have selected Carlos Eire's Waiting for
Snow in Havana for its "Farmington Valley One Book" program in
September and October. Each of the eight towns -- Avon, Bristol,
Burlington, Canton, Farmington, Granby, New Hartford, and Simsbury --
will
be hosting a scholar-led book discussion in September or October. On Wednesday, October
15, at 7:00
pm,
Carlos Eire will appear at Avon
High School for an author talk.
New
Hartford's "One Book" scholar-led
book discussion will be held
on Wednesday, October 1, at 7:00 pm,
at The Beekley Library. The
discussion will be led by Connecticut Humanities
Scholar Jane Hoben.
Waiting
for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy is the memoir of Eire's boyhood in pre-Castro Cuba. In a stream-of-consciousness style, Eire describes ordinary childhood experiences that
could be set anywhere in the world. In this instance, however,
those experiences are colored by
the geography and politics of mid-nineteenth century Cuba, when the island country was the playground of
the rich and decadent. Eire's family enjoyed a privileged aristocratic life
before Batista's regime was overthrown at the end of 1958. Eire's father was a judge who believed he
was the reincarnation of Louis XVI. As Castro made life in Cuba increasingly restrictive and unpleasant for the
wealthy and privileged, the "Peter Pan" airlift was organized to
transport 14,000 Cuban children to Miami. Carlos and his brother were part of this
airlift, leaving behind their parents. Although Carlos' mother
eventually joined the boys in the U.S., his father chose not to leave Cuba, and Carlos never saw his father again.
Eire's memoir, which mixes memory and imagination,
portrays a Cuba that no longer exists and to which expatriates
will no longer be able to return. The memoir also vilifies
Fidel Castro, the man who has transformed Cuba into a country that has bedeviled U.S.
presidents for the last half century. Eire, who is a professor of history and religion at Yale University, has never returned to his boyhood home.
In the
past year, the U.S. has closely watched the unfolding political
landscape in Cuba, as Fidel Castro has stepped down and his
brother Raul has assumed leadership. Cuba continues to fascinate us, and a reading and
discussion of Waiting for Snow in Havana draws upon this
increased interest in a country that lies a mere 70 miles off the
coast of Florida. The Beekley Library will also have on
display a selection of related books, DVDs, and music for patrons
to borrow.
New
Hartford's "Farmington Valley One Book," program is being funded
this year by BookFriends. All of the
events, including the appearance of Carlos Eire, are free. Copies of
the book are available at each library, and The Beekley Library has a good supply. For
adults looking for a good summer reading selection, Waiting for
Snow in Havana may fit the bill very nicely.
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