Conversations With Cuba

A long-time Cuba watcher discusses his love affair with this proud, passionate, troubled nation, from his romanticized high school observances of Castro's revolution to his five illegal trips to the nation between 1991 and 1997.

In the 40 years since the Cuban Revolution, much has changed there. Ripley, through five visits in the 1990s, uncovers the attitudes of this contradictory island country. Despite most people's unwillingness to criticize the government, there are subtle expressions of dissatisfaction, mostly from the younger generation that does not remember the revolution itself. However, there are enough Cubans who, despite their sometimes squalid conditions, still utter "Vive la revolucion!" Indeed, during the course of the book, Ripley relates how dollars began to be accepted as well as pesos and even how U.S. customs doesn't go out of its way to prevent black-market cigars from entering the U.S. His romanticism of the revolution gets tested; the family he meets each visit is largely in Castro's corner, but many of the women would move to the U.S. if given a chance. Ripley's breezy writing style spotlights well these noble, fascinating people and their often complex story. Joe Collins

Present-day Cuba continues to be a mystery to most Americans. The historical travel restrictions, though not as prohibitive as in earlier years, continue to limit the number of Americans who visit this island, Communist since the late 1950s. Ripley, a historian of the black experience in the United States, has written a personal and sensitive description of the Cuban people. Based on five trips he made between 1991 and 1997, his latest book examines Cuba's common citizens, whose lives are intimately connected to the Cuban revolution. Sympathetic to the revolution, Ripley paints a more positive picture of Cuba's recent history than does the mainstream press. Although not entirely objective, the text is well written and informative. Of interest to academic libraries with Latin American collections and public libraries with a Latino patron base.AMark L. Grover, Brigham Young Univ. Lib., Provo, UT
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