The title of this book captures the content well: Leaving Glorytown: One Boy's Struggle under Castro. In this memoir, Calcines recounts his experience, refraining from making sweeping generalizations or pursuing political tangents. Instead, he simply shares his own experience as a young boy living under the rule of Fidel Castro, identifying the changes that took place and the norms that came about under Castro's rule. Calcines avoids the therapist's couch and does not ask for sympathy, and yet many of the details he shares are striking: splitting a piece of gum five ways so his sister could experience chewing gum for the first time; describing Fidel Castro as "The Voice," ever-present in his life; and going to Havana and learning that parts of Cuba were off-limits to Cubans themselves. The perspective from which the book is written allows the reader to grow up in Cuba in Calcines's shoes and catch a glimpse of what his life was like.

This book could be useful in the classroom for many reasons. It could be used to inform students on Cuban culture, the politics of Fidel Castro, and the spread of communism. Ideally I think this book would be a great selection to keep in a class library as an option for students to read on their own. There is something validating about seeing one's countryman's experience on the page, and I think this could be meaningful to my own students whose families are from Cuba or who have lived through similar experiences. ( )

Eduardo Calcines was very young when Fidel Castro took power in Cuba. He has memories of
Cuba from before the revolution, times of happiness and good living. Suddenly, things change. Times of hunger and want become the norm. The Calcines family makes the "traitorous" decision to apply for a visas to legally immigrate to America, something they know will take years to be approved, if even at all. By doing this, they become "worms" and open themselves up to constant bullying, threats, and violence by teachers, neighbors, strangers, and the government. Eduardo's father is even sent to a work camp to be "re-educated". As the years wear on, things only to continue to deteriorate for the family as well as the country. The only bright spot is the family relationship, to include positive, loving grandparents that live across the street as well as the extended family. The family finally gets their visas when Eduardo is 14, and the family immigrates. They go on to have a successful and fulfilling life in America.
Eduardo's grandmother told him that once Castro took over, the world forgot about Cuba. I think that the embargo made this true for many Americans, including myself. I chose this book so that I could learn more about the everyday life of Cubans under the Castro regime. I found it to be a really well written and interesting.
Curriculum Connections: Use to teach about Cuba, life behind the iron curtain, the effects of communism on daily and political life. It can also be used as a springboard to teach about the process of legal immigration. ( )

Narrated by the author. Performing his own book in audio format, the author invites listeners into his Cuban childhood and the challenges his family faced under Castro's rule while they awaited their lottery pick to leave for America. He exudes the warmth and strength of his family ties and Glorytown neighbors. Young listeners will also feel his anger and frustration of living under a Communist regime. This is ideal for a family listening experience and discussion, and is best suited for youths grade 5 and up. ( )

Eduardo Calcines, now a successful businessman in Florida, relates the story of his boyhood in Cuba. Born to a family on the edge of poverty just a few years prior to the Communist dictator's takeover, Calcines childhood was not idyllic, but in the aftermath as Cubans struggled to survive, certainly seemed that way. As conditions worsened and his parents made the decision to apply for a visa to emigrate to America rather than join the thousands that braved the oceans, Calcines faced ridicule and worse from his classmates and teachers.

Vivid descriptions, strong family ties, and a happy ending. Painful to read as many of these memoirs are simply because the topic is so unpleasant, this is an excellent book. Now, as Cuba perhaps sees the light at the end of a very long tunnel, this would be an excellent book for young people who have never thought about what happened in those early years. ( )