Coral Gables Museum. Dec 17, 2011. 11:00 a.m.
This moving tale of a 14-year-old girl’s journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan – an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro’s revolution – is perfect for all ages and all South Floridians.
In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez finds everything begins to change when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. And her family is being watched. Lucía’s parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States.
Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? The Red Umbrella is a moving story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.
Students from Hialeah Gardens High are providing special Pedro Pan-themed decorations for this celebration.
Christina Gonzalez based this powerful novel on the experiences of her parents, and of the more than 14,000 other unaccompanied minors who came to the United States through Operation Pedro Pan. This mass exodus of children is a little-known and fascinating piece of history, and Gonzalez has created a story that brings that history vibrantly to life. Gonzalez practiced law for several years before returning to her childhood passion for stories and writing. The Red Umbrella is her first novel. Christina Diaz Gonzalez lives in Miami, with her husband and two sons. You can visit her on the Web at www.christinagonzalez.com.
Coral Gables Museum
285 Aragon Avenue
Miami, FL 33134
305.910.3996
www.coralgablesmuseum.org
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