Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
An exploration of Cuba's Cold War mindset and a people in the throes of transition, with tales of run-ins with spies, secret backrooms, and empty grocery shelves
Fidel Castro is dead. Donald Trump is in the White House. And to most outsiders, the fate of Cuba has never been more uncertain. But those who look close enough realize the blueprints for the island's next revolution may be etched in plain view.
This is Cuba begins in the summer of 2009 when CNN offers David Ariosto, a wide-eyed, inexperienced journalist, the chance of a lifetime--a two-year assignment in Havana. Ariosto moves to Cuba with visions of covering the island in the fashion of such literary legends as Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway. But as the realities of both Castro's police state and America's trade embargo set in, those rose-tinted lenses begin to clear up. Beyond the classic cars, salsa and cigars, lies a country that fiercely guards its Cold War persona--perhaps even more so after the death of its iconic leader. Though Wi-Fi hot spots and American tourists now dot the landscape, the fists of the regime are still up and guarding against the specter of its old nemesis, just 93 miles north. And a crisis is brewing. As American diplomats withdraw following suspected sonic attacks, the country is dealing with its biggest political transition in more than half a century. The fate of a country is up for grabs.
By looking at Cuba from the inside-out, Ariosto's personal journey helps to navigate what's in store for the island after that transition, all while under the shadow of President Donald Trump.
Synopsis
Fidel Castro is dead. Donald Trump was elected president. And to most outsiders, the fate of Cuba has never seemed more uncertain. Yet those who look close enough may recognize that signs of the next revolution are etched in plain view.
This is Cuba is a true story that begins in the summer of 2009 when a young American photo-journalist is offered the chance of a lifetime--a two-year assignment in Havana.
For David Ariosto, the island is an intriguing new world, unmoored from the one he left behind. From neighboring military coups, suspected honey traps, salty spooks, and desperate migrants to dissidents, doctors, and Havana's empty shelves, Ariosto uncovers the island's subtle absurdities, its Cold War mystique, and the hopes of a people in the throes of transition. Beyond the classic cars, salsa, and cigars lies a country in which black markets are ubiquitous, free speech is restricted, privacy is curtailed, sanctions wreak havoc, and an almost Kafka-esque goo of Soviet-style bureaucracy still slows the gears of an economy desperate to move forward.
But life in Cuba is indeed changing, as satellite dishes and internet hotspots dot the landscape and more Americans want in. Still, it's not so simple. The old sentries on both sides of the Florida Straits remain at their posts, fists clenched and guarding against the specter of a Cold War that never quite ended, despite the death of Fidel and the hand-over of the presidency to a man whose last name isn't Castro.
And now, a crisis is brewing.
In This Is Cuba, Ariosto looks at Cuba from the inside-out over the course of nine years, endeavoring to expose clues for what's in store for the island as it undergoes its biggest change in more than half a century.
Synopsis
USA Today New and Noteworthy - One of The Washington Post's 10 Books to Read--and Gift--in December
Fascinating. --Forbes
Fidel Castro is dead. Donald Trump was elected president. And to most outsiders, the fate of Cuba has never seemed more uncertain. Yet those who look close enough may recognize that signs of the next revolution are etched in plain view.
This is Cuba is a true story that begins in the summer of 2009 when a young American photo-journalist is offered the chance of a lifetime--a two-year assignment in Havana.
For David Ariosto, the island is an intriguing new world, unmoored from the one he left behind. From neighboring military coups, suspected honey traps, salty spooks, and desperate migrants to dissidents, doctors, and Havana's empty shelves, Ariosto uncovers the island's subtle absurdities, its Cold War mystique, and the hopes of a people in the throes of transition. Beyond the classic cars, salsa, and cigars lies a country in which black markets are ubiquitous, free speech is restricted, privacy is curtailed, sanctions wreak havoc, and an almost Kafka-esque goo of Soviet-style bureaucracy still slows the gears of an economy desperate to move forward.
But life in Cuba is indeed changing, as satellite dishes and internet hotspots dot the landscape and more Americans want in. Still, it's not so simple. The old sentries on both sides of the Florida Straits remain at their posts, fists clenched and guarding against the specter of a Cold War that never quite ended, despite the death of Fidel and the hand-over of the presidency to a man whose last name isn't Castro.
And now, a crisis is brewing.
In This Is Cuba, Ariosto looks at Cuba from the inside-out over the course of nine years, endeavoring to expose clues for what's in store for the island as it undergoes its biggest change in more than half a century.