My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood

My Havana: Memories of a Cuban Boyhood

written by Rosemary Wells with Secundino Fernandez

illustrated by Peter Ferguson

“Until I am six years old, in 1954, my world is sweet. “We live in a city built by angels,” Papi says. There is no cold in Havana, only sunshine and warm rain. The city’s avenues are lined with arcades of coral-stone archways, ancient doors, and window frames painted bright as birds-of-paradise. The vivid colors are accented everywhere by the deep mahogany of Havana’s window shutters and ceiling fans…”

With these words, my children and I became engrossed in this beautifully written book by Rosemary Wells. My Havana follows the childhood story of Cuban émigré and architect, Secundino Fernandez. Forced to leave his beloved island home twice, Dino must come to terms with his overwhelming homesickness and begin a new life in a city that is completely different.

The book is divided into four sections, which chronicle his early years on the island of Cuba, a year in Madrid, followed by another three years in Havana, and ultimately, his move to New York. The text is rich with imagery and details reflecting the unique properties of each city and time period. Along the way, my children were briefly introduced to the infamous historical/ political figures of Spain’s Generalissimo Francisco Franco, Germany’s Hitler, and Cuba’s Fulgencio Batista, Fidel Castro, and Che Guevera. This seems like quite a heavy load for young readers, but Wells presents the characters in bits and pieces as they were seen and understood by a young boy, making them easier for young readers to understand. She really has done an impeccable job.

In Havana, Dino spends his days sketching the magnificent architecture that surrounds him, a glimpse of the architect that he is to one day become. I love the talent that he displays and the symbolism of his drawings within the story. My children were most intrigued by the way in which young Dino deals with his intense longing for his native home once he is living in New York. He builds a miniature version of Havana, right on his bedroom floor, using cardboard, paints, aluminum foil, and anything else he can get his hands on.

The book also reveals Dino’s struggle to enter a new school, where he is mistreated by his teacher and fellow students for his inability to speak the language. I love that my children were exposed to this very real tribulation that many children all over this country go through, as well as the way in which he overcame the hardship. The book does have a happy ending, as Dino grows to learn the language, makes a friend, and discovers the beauty that surrounds him in his new home.

The book is sprinkled with Ferguson’s colorful illustrations and black-and-white sketches. It even includes three photographs of eight-year-old Secundino with his parents, which my children inspected with great interest.

This title is one of Candlewick Press’s first ventures into multicultural (specifically Latino) children’s literature. It is a great start and I hope they continue to produce more books of this caliber. Not only is the story line genuine and authentic, but both Wells and Ferguson capture the feeling of each city and time period with great detail. The intimacy of the story and pictures reveals how closely both of them worked with Señor Fernandez to accurately present his story.

Incidentally, the idea for this book was born after Wells heard a five-minute interview Fernandez on the radio. Wells instantly related to his intense homesickness as a child, having experienced a similar situation. His story stayed with her for years, until she finally decided that she wanted to write his story. After four years of searching, she tracked him down in New York.

My Havana is not a picture book. It is geared for older children, ages 8 and up, though I read it to both of mine, ages 4 & 6, over the course of two nights. As a parent, I truly loved this book for it’s multicultural content, the introduction to world politics, and thought-provoking substance. I would really like to see more books like this written about children around the world, especially Latin America. As a teacher, I was able to discuss with my children the topics of geography, immigration, family responsibility, displacement, architecture, bilingualism, diversity within the Latino culture, and politics.

If you would like to buy your own copy of My Havana, please click here. Or you can follow the link in our sidebar to the LBBC’s on-line store. We have both new and gently used copies available.