The Red Umbrella

Description:

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. And soon, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. 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?

My Thoughts:

Based on the story of the author's parents, this was really interesting to me because I was unaware of Operation Pedro Pan, an organized exodus of over 14,000 unaccompanied Cuban children to the United States.  This historical fiction, told from the point of view of 14-year-old Lucia, is just very heartbreaking. As a mother, I always feel for these parents around the world who continue to make that very difficult decision to separate from their children in order to keep them safe and give them a better life. 

The voice of Lucia is very authentic. She is a typical teenager worried more about dances and clothes than politics but when she is sent away with her younger brother, she does her best to keep them together and be the adult even if she is just as lost and homesick. Her outbursts and tantrums are understandable. Her worries become the readers worries. What adds to the story is the foster family who are trying their best but are also a little culturally clueless. Still, I wonder how they would feel about what is going on now at the border?

Put this in your classroom library. Tweens  will trust the narrator and through her story learn about a history that is not always shared in the schools.