Spirits of the Revolution - Hardcover

Gonzalez, Luis; Aufiery, Dennis

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0966305809 ISBN 13: 9780966305807

Publisher: Colonnade Books, 1998

Synopsis

A novel of the United States and Cuba.

About this title

About the Author

Luis Gonzalez was born in Havana, Cuba. He came to the United States at the age of eight with his immediate family. They settled in the city of Los Angeles and there they stayed.

After going through the public school system, he graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature.

He has been a contributing editor to the Santa Monica Monthly, and an associate producer for a Los Angeles radio talk-show where he wrote, produced, and recorded human interest stories for the air.

Like many of the characters in his book, he knew it was his destiny to return to Cuba one day to experience the land of his birth. Spirits of the Revolution is his first novel.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Luis Gonzalez's Writing Luis Gonzalez is a promising new voice probing the Cuban drama that the media never reports__the yearning and passion of the sons and daughters of those who fled Castro a generation ago to return to their patria, even if it means returning back to the Revolution itself.

Richard Setlowe author of The Black Sea and The Experiment Writes very, very beautifully. A very expressive, evocative writer. An enormous amount of talent.

Michael Levin author of The Socratic Method, Settling the Score, and Alive and Kicking. A great book. The characters are extremely vivid and lively. The scenes well-crafted and exciting. A very talented writer.

Susan Vaughn, writer whose work has appeared in Time, Life, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, People, Spy, and McCall's. Winner of Dianne Thomas Screenwriting award. Compelling writing from a voice we haven't heard before.

Lee Montgomery, editor of Total Disaster, an Anthology of Los Angeles Fiction, Dove Books, 1997.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

From Chapter 8, Foreign Exchange "Well then," Orlando continued, "eres cubano just like the rest of us. Here, drink up. It's time to celebrate. It's the 25th, it's the month of July, I have the city's most beautiful girl by my side, and I'm still celebrating my birthday," he said, taking a puff from a cigar. "How can I lose?" What had he just said? Alejandro asked himself, suddenly feeling very relaxed. A cubano? Just like the rest of us? Alejandro wondered if he ever put his clients this much at ease. He suddenly decided that he liked this Orlando very much___this personable and affable compatriot whose familiar manner made him feel they were the best of friends and always had been. Alejandro took another swig of the rum to kill his hunger. He would tell this friend of his anything he wanted to know, but first he must offer him a toast. "Coo, felicidades. Nobody said it was your birthday today." "It's not," Orlando replied. "My birthday was on the 14th, 11 days ago." "But you just said you're celebrating it." "I said 'still celebrating it.' You see, 14 is my lucky number, and any of the numbers related to 14 are almost as important as 14 itself. Since July is the seventh month and 14 is twice of seven, I celebrate my birthday all month long, especially since I turned 21 this year and 21 is a multiple of 7. In fact," he leaned over and whispered. "Today, the 25th, is personally more important to me than tomorrow the 26th. Do you want to know why? Because two plus five equals seven, get it?" Alejandro looked quizzically at Orlando. Oh, he got it all right. Was this guy for real or what? Was this someone who had studied Socialism or numerology?" "And I thought the Revolution did away with superstitions," he said. "What do you do when you break a mirror? Go into seclusion for seven years or 14 just to be safe?" "Papo," he replied, his tone filled with sudden alarm. "Don't say that, not even in jest. I've never broken a mirror once in my life nor do I ever intend to."

Edition details

• Publisher: Colonnade Books
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0966305809
• ISBN 13: 9780966305807
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 933