Days of the Embassy
by Alejandrin
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Book Summary Information
Author: AlejandrinEditor: R J G
Illustrator: n/a
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-06-08
ISBN: 0977866238
Number of pages: 181
Publisher: R J Gagnon Publishing
Book Reviews of Days of the Embassy
Book Review: After the Revolution: The Passion of the Disillusioned
Summary: 5 Stars
Reports of unrest in Latin American countries daily make headlines in the media, and while there is a significant degree of philosophical unrest in North America under the current administration, few of us can fathom the depth of emotion and courage that is too often the climate in our Southern neighboring countries. In this very fine book by Alejandrin, DAYS OF THE EMBASSY, we are presented with insider information on what has happened in one particular country (Cuba) - information that due to political barricades rarely reaches outside the borders until someone of the commitment to human rights that Alejandrin demonstrates can open our eyes.
Though the title of this memoir suggests a summation of an event that took place twenty-eight years ago, making some readers wonder why it took the author so long to speak out against the Communist suppression endured since the 1960's revolution controlled and fostered by Fidel Castro, the answer is as honest and as touching as Alejandrin's (the pen name for Argelio del Valle) writing: he had to learn to speak and write English and start a new life in his adopted country in America before he could place the experiences of his youth in perspective and allow time to reinforce the agony of his memories, making his message a universal one. For readers curious about the effects of Castro's communism and his brittle promises to bring equality to all the people of his island, this brief but engrossing book will open windows of understanding and empathy for those neighbors who to this day suffer life under dictatorships.
Alejandrin's youth was spent trying to believe the promises of a 'new world' in his beloved Cuba, but like so many of the citizens of Cuba in the 1980s, the disillusion peaked and in April of 1980 over 10,000 Cubans stormed the Peruvian Embassy for sanctuary. Though the living conditions within the gates were deplorable because of lack of food, water, and space, the refugees were at least free from Castro's police state. Alejandrin writes so well about the conditions of surviving, forever cloaked in the hope for escape from the country they loved before communism fractured their lives, that the reader can feel and sense the intensity of emotional commitment. At last the refugees were able to immigrate to other countries offering refuge, and Alejandrin sailed to America on one of the crowded boats leaving Mariel port. His transition into living in a foreign place included finding work, finding love, and finding education - each of which allowed him to ultimately share his life experiences with us. `I believe that anything truly meaningful in life is worth making sacrifices for, and being free is worth the sacrifice'.
So often memoirs of this sort can become whining, embittered explosions of hate. Such is most assuredly not the case with this book. Alejandrin writes with clarity, reflection, and concern that his experiences will be a beacon for those enduring oppression as well an alert to the dangers of dictatorship regimes for readers to ponder and hopefully become involved in the global picture of human welfare. This superb book, along with the equally honest and excellent 053803: LIFE AT FIFTEEN, are the first products of a new publishing house owned by the author of the latter book, Robert J. Gagnon. While the technical aspects of editing and typesetting need to be addressed in these early works, we should be grateful that a small publishing house has the courage to bring inspirational volumes about human rights to the public's attention. Heed these writers: they have a strong and very important message for all of us. Grady Harp, July 08
Summary of Days of the Embassy
An inspiring tale of two countries through the eyes of a Cuban in exile. Persecuted for failing to participate in communist activities in Cuba, Alejandrin attempts to leave the island by boat and is arrested. Awaiting trial he enters the Peruvian Embassy with 10,800 others, only to be starved for weeks and attacked by Cuban military. After his surrender, Alejandrin is hunted by communist gangs until he reaches America through the port of Mariel. Interned in a processing camp until sponsored, the author compares the advantages of living in a democratic society as apposed to communist oppression.Historical Books
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