5 comments about Dancing with Cuba: A Memoir of the Revolution.

1. The person who stressed this is a memoir is on target though I think it is quite well written. As a long time admirer of Guillermoprieto's journalism I found this a fascinating and unfaiingly honest account of her life as a dance teacher in Cuba before she became a writer. IT IS a memoir and the self pity of her young self is conveyed with a brutal honesty--it is the middle-aged writer descibing where she once was and her perspective is a perfect balance of scorn and affection for who she was. If you are looking for a wide ranging view of the revolution, this is not the book you want to read, though you will get a very interesting perspective on life in Cuba in the early 1970s. If you have not read anything by her before, read The Heart That Bleeds and Looking for History (as well as Mark Danner's The Massacre at El Mozote, a story she was responsible, with Ray Bonner at the Times, for breaking in 1982. She is a remarkable writer and this memoir was one of my favorite reads of the last several years.



2. I hated this book the first time I read it. The writing is that good - it definitely evokes strong emotions. However, I kept coming back to the ideas in the book, especially her conflicts as an artist and as a dubious and somewhat neurotic 'internacionalista.' So, I read it again a year later....and loved it.
   
   What I mean to say is, upon a fast reading, it comes off as just another anti-Castro 'terrified' take on the heady first decades of the Cuban rev, or the navel-gazing of a somewhat neurotic artist. The book deserves a closer look, though, because the memoir actually has a much more interesting - and complicated - narrative to tell. The character of Elfrida alone could generate volumes of reflection. It's really fascinating.



3. Guillermoprieto's memoir of the Cuban Revolution is a very personal account of one person's experience in Cuba after the revolution. She does not endeavor to provide broad background information regarding the history or politics in Cuba and is in fact quite naive and ignorant of even basic current events during the memoir. While I wasn't particularly moved by her story, her aloof and intimate account of her time in post-revolution Cuba does provide a very readable and accessable introduction to the subject.



4. In 1970, Alma Guillermoprieto left her home in New York to teach modern dance in Cuba for six months. There, she found herself in the heart of the Cuban revolution. Though a memoir all the way, the book is peppered with historical background and short biographies of Cuba's most important heroes and figures. The author tells of her desire to have the faith of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, her horror over her ignorance of evil after watching a film on the Vietnam War, the conflict between her previous ideas about identity and purpose in comparison to those of her Cuban friends. Her memoir is a good recounting of her struggle, against the backdrop of Cuba's very complex history and culture. Though not by any means a reference on Cuban history, the book does give a good inside look at how Cubans as well as outsiders viewed the revolution that was taking place. This is an enjoyable coming of age memoir, especially for fans of dance and Cuba.



5. This book is a marketing tome for communism, a failed system. I was expecting more of a novel, but unfortunately it fell short of my expectations.

No comments about Steamboats on the St. Croix.

No comments about Children of the Sea: Marine Diversity of Caribbean.

No comments about Journal of a Lady of Quality.

3 comments about Fodor's Exploring Cuba, 3rd Edition (Exploring Guides).

1. Fodor's has done a wonderful job with Cuba. In particular, the author, Mawer, is a terrific writer and his lucid, precise language is a treat after reading the much touted "Cuba Handbook," which I found far too wordy and unorganized. While others say that "Cuba Handbook" has an essential guide to Cuban politics and history, I say that Mawer does the same thing but with prose that is far more readable and intriguing. His opinion of the politics is very much what I experienced -- a mixture of both good and the bad. I agree with all of his recommendations and touts. While I visited more attractions than he describes in the book, I concur with Mawer's decisions on what is worthwile (i.e., many of the attractions that I read about in other books and visited were not worth my attention).



2. Every year more and more Americans are visiting Cuba for family, tourist, business, and humanitarian purposes. Fodor's Exploring Cuba is an ideal guide to this island nation and offers a wealth of practical, up-to-date, reliable information on what to see, where to stay, where to eat, and all the basics of getting there, getting around, when to go, and what to pack. Concise, wonderfully illustrated throughout, completely "user friendly", Fodor's Exploring Cuba is an essential, highly recommended tour guide for anyone planning a trip to Cuba.



3. This book was very interesting and well written, the pictures are good but limited in size and number. The overall book is good but I have read better, this one is good, but I need more than this book to take me to Cuba for a visit, so there are other books beside this one, but this one is very good on some categories

No comments about Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands Wildlife Viewing Guide (Wildlife Viewing Guides Series).

No comments about The Amazon: Land without History (Library of Latin America).

No comments about Marine Life of the Caribbean (Macmillan Caribbean Natural History).

2 comments about Frommer's Jamaica & Barbados (4th ed).

1. The 2nd edition of this travel guide was useful, informative and well read when we travelled to Jamaica in 1994. We are planning on going back and will be purchasing Frommer's Guide to Jamaica and Barbados (3rd ed.). The guide was well segmented and easy to use. Reviews were right on and the extremely accurate price guides helped us plan for everything. The historical information made for interesting reading and the people and local culture were exactly as described! This is a well done and very user-friendly travel guide. It's also a bargain at Amazon.com!



2. "Frommer's Jamaica & Barbados" is an outstanding guide to the finest (and most affortable) shops, sites, hotels, and restaurants on the two islands. Darwin Porter and Danforth Prince also give us candid, in-depth "Best Of's" at the beginning of the book. If, for instance, you're an avid tennis player, the Best Tennis Facility in Barbados is at the Sandy Lane Hotel. And one of the Best Honeymoon Resorts is, ironically, Half Moon Golf, Tennis & Beach Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Other fine sections include: "Fast Facts: Jamaica/Barbados," "Calendar of Events," and "Planning a Trip to Jamaica/Barbados." The authors do a first-rate job of giving you the low-down on Jamaica without scarring you off ("There's no denying that it's plagued by crime and drugs...But many visitors are unaffected; they are escourted from the airport to their hotel grounds and venture out only on...organized tours"). If you're planning a trip to either of these two lovely islands, don't plan it without the aid of this top-notch guidebook.

1 comments about The Traveler's Tree.

1. This book exceeded my expectations. If you are intrigued with the era of seafaring exploration, and in particular the colonial shenanigans of the eighteenth century West Indies, you may find this book as riveting as I did.
   Both the horrible realities of life on ships and the dream-like allure of the tropics are thoroughly treated, and the simple but compelling plot kept me turning the pages. An enjoyable read.