The Red Umbrella
Christina Gonzalez
eBook
(Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 25, 2010)
The Red Umbrella is a moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Panâan organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution.In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, LucĂa Ălvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. And soon, LucĂa's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United Statesâon their own.Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, LucĂa struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl?The Red Umbrella is a touching story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.âCaptures the fervor, uncertainty and fear of the times. . . . Compelling.â âThe Washington Post âGonzalez deals effectively with separation, culture shock, homesickness, uncertainty and identity as she captures what is also a grand adventure.â âSan Francisco Chronicle
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