Book review - My Brigadista Year

Title: My Brigadista Year
Author: Katherine Paterson
Genre: historical fiction
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Rating:

an interesting bit of history

Summary (provided by publisher): In an engrossing historical novel, the Newbery Medal-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia follows a young Cuban teenager as she volunteers for Fidel Castro’s national literacy campaign and travels into the impoverished countryside to teach others how to read.
When thirteen-year-old Nora tells her parents that she wants to join Premier Castro’s army of young literacy teachers, her mother screeches to high heaven, and her father roars like a lion. Nora has barely been outside of Havana — why would she throw away her life in a remote shack with no electricity, sleeping on a hammock in somebody’s kitchen? But Nora is stubborn: didn’t her parents teach her to share what she has with someone in need? Surprisingly, Nora’s abuela takes her side, even as she makes Nora promise to come home if things get too hard. But how will Nora know for sure when that time has come? Shining light on a little-known moment in history, Katherine Paterson traces a young teen’s coming-of-age journey from a sheltered life to a singular mission: teaching fellow Cubans of all ages to read and write, while helping with the work of their daily lives and sharing the dangers posed by counterrevolutionaries hiding in the hills nearby. Inspired by true accounts, the novel includes an author’s note and a timeline of Cuban history.

My opinion: Most of us don't actually know much about Cuba's history and culture. When we were growing up, Cuba was a shadowy villain, a trickle down from the Cold War. Now that routes to Cuba are starting to open, that's going to change and books like this one will help. I was blown away by the facts of this year of Cuban history, the huge effort to bring the entire Cuban nation into a more educated culture. For the history buff, this will be a fascinating read. For others, it's perhaps a slow read.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.