In the Embrace of the Alligator - Softcover

Hale, Amanda

4.25

8 ratings by Goodreads

9781897235874: In the Embrace of the Alligator

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1897235879 ISBN 13: 9781897235874

Publisher: Thistledown Press, 2011

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The woman is flying in small airplane and sees in the distance the great cumbrous mass of El Yunque, the flat-topped mesa that announces the historic town of Baracoa. She has likely heard the legend of the Honey River, where it is said that the person who bathes in its waters and gets married in Baracoa must stay there forever. She knows people in Baracoa. She is going to meet Onaldo, her Afro-Cuban lover, and she will become 'Katrina' to continue her private journals. In this series of linked fictions, unified by place and a cast of overlapping characters, Karina travels the length of El Caim�n, the alligator which is Cuba.

The narratives that make up this book have their origins in Hale's travel journal, but emerge as stories, arriving at that place just beyond creative non-fiction. Vivid and sensitive portraits are balanced with the dark undercurrents of Cuban life. Katrina witnesses how politics have re-shaped the culture and lives of the people she encounters, while she falls deeply in love with the true and hidden life of El Caim�n.

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About the Author:

Amanda Hale has been writing for over 30 years. She is a novelist and poet, has written for theatre and worked as a journalist. She has an M.A. in Creative Writing Drama from Concordia University, Montreal, and has taught creative writing. She was a founding member of Toronto’s feminist theatre group, Company of Sirens, and of Red Tree Visual Arts.

Review:

In the Embrace of the Alligator describes the love affair between a Canadian woman and a Cuban man, revealing complications of a romance between people of different backgrounds...In the first story, First Steps, Last Steps, Hale describes music, sickness, tourism, slavery, broken bodies, dance, filth, warmth, politics, romance and hunger... [O]n a side trip to Baracoa...Karina meets Onaldo. They dance, drink, eat, and rapidly fall in love. Karina soon discovers that differences in laws, cultures and finances can make relationships a challenge. Cubas economy depends on tourists, and there are laws that prohibit local people from becoming romantically involved with foreignersto protect the tourists... When it comes to romance in Cuba, the lines between genuine feelings and adventures for personal gain can be blurred...This collection consequently features many uncomfortable conversations about money. Such talk inevitably arises in the face of financial disparity. Needs and desires can turn to greed in cross-cultural relationships. In Creative Non-Fiction, Onaldo concocts a tale to tell Karina about the money she has given to him for travel, and how it was ostensibly being stolen. He knows that she will take pity on him and give him more...To a point, Karina understands that she is being taken advantage of, but feels guilty after she confronts Onaldo...The advantage-taking can go either way. In one memorable story,...Disconnections between foreigners and Cubans abound, in language, politics, and attitudes. Part of it is simply the difference between a person on vacation and a person living their regular life. Much of it runs deeper. In Senora Amable Ponce,...[t]heir hostess Senora Amable is a wounded woman struggling to maintain her dignity....The story ends with a literal disconnect: the Senoras phone line goes dead...Amanda Hale has clearly spent a lot of time in Cuba...She has come to know and understand aspects of Cuban society that tourists in resorts dont always see, and has used her experiences to create a rewarding collection. Her writing is strong and sensuous. We are given some intimacy with the heart of complex Cuban life. --BC Bookworld, Summer 2011

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