The Red Umbrella

Jun 26, 2010 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010, historical-fiction, sibilings

Ok, so I have to admit that when I started reading this book I wasn't clicking with it the way I wanted to. Looking back the problem was that I had an expectation of how the tone of the book should be like, but that's unfair to the book. I let my expectations fall to the wayside and I'm so glad I did.

Our protagonist, Lucia Alvarez, is living in Cuba at turbulent times when Fidel Castro is rising to power and families, friendships, and a sense of country are rapidly falling apart. Lucia though is...more Ok, so I have to admit that when I started reading this book I wasn't clicking with it the way I wanted to. Looking back the problem was that I had an expectation of how the tone of the book should be like, but that's unfair to the book. I let my expectations fall to the wayside and I'm so glad I did.

Our protagonist, Lucia Alvarez, is living in Cuba at turbulent times when Fidel Castro is rising to power and families, friendships, and a sense of country are rapidly falling apart. Lucia though is focused on how her parents are being too overprotective, wishing she could dance with the boy of her dreams, and how big her quinceanera is going to be. Sure enough, Lucia starts seeing how wrong things truly are. When things seem like they couldn't get worse, they do. Her parents decide that she and her brother Frankie need to leave Cuba and go to the land of prosperity, the United States.

The contrast of cultures is what really impressed me. Though I'm not Cuban, I did appreciate some of the refrences made that reminded of things that are part of the Hispanic culture. Since the story is set in two different countries naturally we see how Lucia and Frankie cope with the change. I just laughed to see how they went from Cuba to Miami to a farmtown in Nebraska. Talk about a culture shock. I really could sympathize with Lucia. It would be beyond hard to be pushed to leave the only home you have ever known, and all the people and things that you connect with who you are. The author gives the reader a strong sense of the seriousness of the situation without it being too overwhelming for younger readers, which was essential so it could be enjoyable for the targeted audience. Mission accomplished.

In the beginning I couldn't grab a hold of who Lucia was, but having to witness her being brave because she had no other choice really gave me the chance to see the core of her character. Definite props to the author because I hadn't heard too much about Operation Pedro Pan before reading this book. Only misgiving I have is that I wish that the story and some of the characters had been more fleshed out.

The title, The Red Umbrella , is quite fitting. The part where we see the correlation made me tear up just a little bit. A book filled with fortitude, and the sense of what home is.(less)

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Aug 01, 2010 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Valerie by: Cara

Shelves: historical-fiction

Good old historical fiction never fails. Lucia is our girl of interest. Time period is the 1960s however this isn't about the civil rights movement it's about Operation Pedro Pan because of the Communist Movement going on in Cuba.

Lucia seems to be average but spoiled in the beginning of the book. This annoyed me. I guess it's realistic since she is fourteen and basically has had (up until now) a fairly carefree life but it was still off putting. Once problems start arising and Lucia starts to r...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Red Umbrella is a fantastically written debut that had me on the verge of tears on several occasions.

I have to admit I was a little apprehensive to read this novel at first... I do enjoy reading historical fiction, but I knew this story would waken emotions that I'd have to deal with long after the book was over. To know that people struggled in the manner that Lucia and her family did, and I'm sure there were families who struggled much more, is utterly heartbreaking.

The first part of the n...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Juju (Tales of Whimsy.com) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I knew the stories and I knew the hardships. I grew up with my mother telling me about the foods rations and conditions. But it took Christina's book to help me really see Cuba through the eyes of a child. What I found there was a beautiful story of loss and the ties that bind. I gasped, cried, smiled, and cheered while reading this book. The Red Umbrella is beautiful, tender, heartfelt, and I recommend it to everyone.

Review Copyright © of Tales of Whimsy.com

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May 14, 2013 Katrina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, young-adult-literature

The Red Umbrella begins in May of 1961, two years after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Our main character, 14 year old Lucía Álvarez, leads a fairly normal, if not idealized, life for a teenager. She reads fashion magazines, talks about boys with her best friend, gets annoyed with her younger brother Frankie, and feels her parents are overly strict. For many contemporary teenagers, she would be easy to relate to. But, Lucía’s life is about to change drastically. While the first two years of the revo...more The Red Umbrella begins in May of 1961, two years after the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Our main character, 14 year old Lucía Álvarez, leads a fairly normal, if not idealized, life for a teenager. She reads fashion magazines, talks about boys with her best friend, gets annoyed with her younger brother Frankie, and feels her parents are overly strict. For many contemporary teenagers, she would be easy to relate to. But, Lucía’s life is about to change drastically. While the first two years of the revolution under Fidel Castro brought little change to the lives of the Álvarez family, this is no longer the case. There is increasing pressure for all Cuban citizens to join the cause of the revolution. Those who don’t, like Mr. and Mrs. Álvarez, find themselves in precarious positions, unable to trust family members or friends. There is no room for dissent in Castro’s new Cuba. Amidst all of this, there is a growing fear of patria potestad or the idea that the Cuban government plans to take over guardianship of all Cuban children in order to educate and prepare them to be active and supportive members of the Cuban revolution.

As a result of all of these changes and an increasing fear for their own safety, Mr. and Mrs. Álvarez choose to send Lucía and Frankie to the United States as part of what is now referred to as Operation Pedro Pan. Between the years of 1960 and 1962, approximately 14,000 children were sent to the United States unaccompanied. Half of these children had family to take them in, but the other half were taken in by the Catholic Welfare Bureau and then placed in orphanages or with host families. Lucía and Frankie are in this latter group and find themselves living in a small Nebraska farm town with the Baxters, an older couple who no longer have children of their own at home. The second half of the novel follows Lucía and Frankie as they adapt to life in Nebraska and what continues to transpire with their friends and family in Cuba. As much as it is a story about one family’s experience during the Cuban Revolution, it is also about a teenage girl’s coming of age as she leaves all that she knows and makes a new life for herself and her brother in a country she knows little about.

Writing a book on the Cuban Revolution would be difficult, but Christina Diaz Gonzalez has done it well here. Diaz Gonzalez provides a beautifully written account of what it was like to live during the Cuban Revolution and not support it. Much of the story is based upon her own family’s stories and other historical accounts of this period. Written from the point of view of a teenage girl, an important historical period becomes accessible and engaging for other young adult readers. Even as an adult, I had a hard time putting the book down—I think I read it in two sittings. Too often our students think of history as a subject relegated to boring, overly thick textbooks. The Red Umbrella provides an amazing gateway into studying a multitude of historical events in the timeline of U.S.-Cuban relations.

As history has shown over and over, political movements are always incredibly complex and layered. The ideals and objectives of political movements seem so clear on paper, but the reality becomes quite complicated. The Red Umbrella is obviously written from a perspective that is anti-Castro and critical of the Cuban Revolution. I don’t think it is any secret, even to those who have supported Castro’s revolution, that there were serious issues, including human rights violations. Like so many other revolutions throughout history, the reality didn’t always live up to the ideals. Yet, as a U.S. citizen, I find it hard to make an absolute or overarching statement about the revolution. While the book does an excellent job of discussing many of the issues that plagued Castro’s revolution, it doesn’t discuss why so many were so eager for the changes that Castro promised, or why so many were willing to support Castro. For much of its history, there have been two very different sides to life in Cuba beginning with colonization and the introduction of slavery. In the period preceding Castro’s revolution many Cubans continued to suffer and struggle to make ends meet, while wealthy Americans and Europeans profited off of lucrative business arrangements. Cuba was a popular vacation destination known as the Las Vegas of the East Coast among wealthy U.S. citizens. Diaz Gonzalez doesn’t address this. In the novel, it is Mrs. Álvarez’s diamond earrings that allow the family to purchase the plane tickets for the children—but what about those who never had that kind of wealth, those who may not have supported the revolution, but did not have the financial resources to get out? It would be important to discuss this background with students if using the book in class. Regardless of one’s political beliefs, the Cuban Revolution and Operation Pedro Pan are significant events in history that should be acknowledged and taught. The Red Umbrella is an incredible resource with which to begin that discussion.

While the majority of the novel is easily appropriate for 6-12 grades, and perhaps even late elementary, there are allusions to rape and execution, though nothing explicit is ever stated. It would be up to the discretion of the teacher whether or not this was appropriate for his or her students. If using it in 5th or 6th grade, it may be best implemented as a read aloud, in which case the teacher could choose to not include those parts. Check our free Educator’s Guide for the book at http://teachinglatinamericathroughlit...
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May 12, 2013 Rebecca Baker rated it 3 of 5 stars

Rebecca Baker

Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. (2011). The red umbrella. New York: Yearling.

Genre: Multicultural

Format: Print

Selection: Found reviews on YALSA website

Review:
The Red Umbrella is a historical novel about about the Cuban Revolution in 1961, and its effect on two children. Life was perfect for Lucia and her brother, until the Communists led by Fidel Castro, attempt to overthrow the Cuban Government. Lucia has little interest in the revolution, she is more concerned with her social life, but...more

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May 07, 2013 Book Concierge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-literature, coming-of-age, concierge, culture, family, historical-fiction, latino-literature, library, own, strong-women, women-writers, young-adult

4.5****

Lucia Alvarez is at the beach with her little brother, Frankie, when she notices a loud rumble. She’s surprised to see a parade of large trucks, loaded with soldiers. Their small town of Puerto Mujares, Cuba has never seen such a military movement. But it is 1961 and the Revolution is changing everything in Cuba. Before long she’ll no longer be anticipating her quinceanera party, but wondering how her best friend could have turned on her, and worrying how she and her family will get thro...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Gail Roshong rated it 4 of 5 stars

Name: Gail Roshong

APA citation: Gonzalez, C. D. (2010). The red umbrella. New York: Random House.

Genre: Historical fiction

Awards: 2010 Best Books for Kids, Christian Science Monitor; 2010 Florida Book Award; 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults

Format: print

Selection process: The Red Umbrella was well reviewed in both Library Media Connection (August/September 2010) by Peggy Fleming and School Library Journal (May 2010) by Rhonda Campbell. Both reviewers feel this novel is thoughtfully written and...more Name: Gail Roshong

APA citation: Gonzalez, C. D. (2010). The red umbrella. New York: Random House.

Genre: Historical fiction

Awards: 2010 Best Books for Kids, Christian Science Monitor; 2010 Florida Book Award; 2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults

Format: print

Selection process: The Red Umbrella was well reviewed in both Library Media Connection (August/September 2010) by Peggy Fleming and School Library Journal (May 2010) by Rhonda Campbell. Both reviewers feel this novel is thoughtfully written and provides carefully chosen details about the Cuban Revolution.

Review:
Set during years of the Cuban Revolution, The Red Umbrella is the fictionalized account of siblings whose parents send them to the United States in the longest exodus of unaccompanied children in the West (Operation Pedro Pan). Previously, fourteen year old Lucia had led a typical teenage middle class life. Her life revolves around boys, clothes, and dances. When Communist revolutionaries arrive, her family life changes drastically since her parents are capitalistic sympathizers. Their every move is scrutinized as many friends and relatives turn against them. Lucia has difficulty grasping the brevity of the situation until her parents feel compelled to send their children to the U.S. in the care of the Catholic Welfare Bureau. Lucia and Frankie ultimately settle on Nebraskan farm with a kindly older couple. While learning English, adjusting to a rural lifestyle and family, Lucia grapples with the separation from her parents, Communist propaganda, censored mail, and interrupted phone calls. As she becomes more acclimated to her new life, she more appreciates the independence offered to her even though she longs for her parents. Then, eighteen months later, when her parents do arrive, all four now are given the opportunity together to relish the freedoms they have sought and understand the true meaning of home.
The Red Umbrella will give the reader insights in Castro’s Revolution and some of the mechanics behind Communist brainwashing. This book can provide a beginning to comprehend a complicated topic that still perplexes many.

Recommended: The Red Umbrella is highly recommended to students in grades six to nine. They will get a basic understanding of the Cuba of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. It is appropriate that the red umbrella ties the beginning and end together.
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Jan 05, 2013 Brittany Cuenin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-classics

The Cuban history of the past 40 years tends to be glossed over and not taught about in schools. Gonzalaz does a really great job of creating a young adult novel which answers those historical questions while creating an interesting plot. The characters are very relatable and the reader gets caught up in the tragedy of the two children, Lucia and her brother, being transported to America - not sure if they will ever see their home or parents again. Gonzalez does a nice job of giving the readers...more The Cuban history of the past 40 years tends to be glossed over and not taught about in schools. Gonzalaz does a really great job of creating a young adult novel which answers those historical questions while creating an interesting plot. The characters are very relatable and the reader gets caught up in the tragedy of the two children, Lucia and her brother, being transported to America - not sure if they will ever see their home or parents again. Gonzalez does a nice job of giving the readers a look into Cuba: What Cubans love about their country and how many were forced to leave their home under the regime of Castro. It is an important history lesson and Gonzalez weaves is so that the reader is immersed in Lucia’s world.
My favorite genre of literature is children’s, and, as I began this course, I finished a “young adult” novel by Christina Gonzalez: The Red Umbrella. The book outlines the historic migration of children from Cuba to the United States in the 1960s. As Castro began to take over Cuba, many parents worked with and through the Catholic church to send over their children to the United States (mostly Miami) in an operation called Pedro Pan. I loved how the book opened up this part of history that was unknown to me (and many of my students). The main character is Lucy, who is 14, and it follows her fictional path through Castro’s takeover and her parents’ decision for her future. Each chapter is framed with a real New York Times headline during the period.

The book is one of my favorites, and I thought it might work well in an ESL reading course. My students, many of whom had only recently immigrated from Latin American countries, were fascinated with how Gonzalez was able to capture the emotion of leaving one’s home country and family behind for new and better opportunities. The book is for a younger crowd, so it isn’t gory; however, it certainly doesn’t shy away from describing how frightening and brutal Castro and Che Guevara were. My adult students, overwhelmingly, loved the book.
A lovely, shy girl in my class spoke up as we had our final discussion. She hated public speaking, but I was excited to have to add her opinion. Originally from Venezuela, she had immigrated to the US based on several events in her high school years, including the rule of Chavez. Her mother made plans for her after she almost witnessed a brutal massacre (one, she told us, she later saw on tv.) She left behind everyone in her family to escape the same fear described in the book; this girl’s story in her broken English sent chills up my spine. Even though she talked about being grateful for education and opportunities, she hadn't seen her family in a year, and their future was unknown. It was a sobering moment for the rest of us in the class - in 2012, not 1963.
The Red Umbrella would be great for parents or teachers who want to introduce this part of history to intermediate (middle/high school) readers. It opens up to discussing history, communism, socialism.(less)

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Nov 22, 2012 Kdcrmc rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a young adult or adolescent-level book. I picked it up at the middle school book fair. If your child is taking Spanish, this is a n interesting read because the author sprinkles in sentences written in Spanish. It is easy to infer the meaning from context, and, the author provides a dictionary of terms at the end of the book. Adults interested in historical fiction will enjoy this too!

The author of this book is the child of parents who were sent to the USA as child refugees when Fidel Ca...more This is a young adult or adolescent-level book. I picked it up at the middle school book fair. If your child is taking Spanish, this is a n interesting read because the author sprinkles in sentences written in Spanish. It is easy to infer the meaning from context, and, the author provides a dictionary of terms at the end of the book. Adults interested in historical fiction will enjoy this too!

The author of this book is the child of parents who were sent to the USA as child refugees when Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba. Her grandparents anticipated the dangerous and shackling effects of Fidel Castro's communist rule developing in Cuba in 1960. They made the heart-wrenching decision to send their children to Miami as part of Operation Pedro Pan. The author explains in her epilogue that this was the single largest population of child refugees to the USA ever-- some 14,000 children were sent to the US to escape Castro's rule. (Castro would allow children visas to leave, but not the parents.)

This book is a fictionalized account of that experience. Anna is a 14-year old girl with a very satisfying and typical life in Cuba. Her father was a banker, her mother a homemaker, and Anna a typical adolescent girl. Life gets turned upside down when an uncle and family friends join the revolution. When her father doesn't join, all of their stocks, savings, jewelry and valuables are confiscated by the government. Anna also sees a local doctor who also did not join the revolution hanged and left on display in the street. In sudden poverty and fear for their lives, Anna's parents decide to send her and her brother to the US with hopes that they will be reunited as a family someday.

This book makes you appreciate our freedoms in the USA. Although fictional, I believe is is a realistic account of what happened to families as socialist and communist rule took root in Cuba. It reminds me of an EXCELLENT movie by Andy Garcia called "The Lost City." Although this movie had little media attention, it was a beautifully written movie highlighting the culture, music, and sophistication of the Cuban society before Castro. The movie also illustrates Cuba's demise under the revolution. The kicker? Castro convinced his people that his rule was "best of the working, middle class." Hmmm.(less)

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Mar 02, 2012 Lindsay rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-ya, not-the-lower-48

Why hasn’t this topic been covered more for the older kid/teen crowd? I absolutely adored this debut and immediately went searching for books involving Castro’s Cuba and Operation Pedro Pan, but I have found…sigh…two others. Yep. (Leaving Glorytown and Jumping off to Freedom, the former looking far more compelling; also, Countdown deals with the American side of the Cuban Missile Crisis.) This era is so highly charged politically and emotionally, it truly baffles me that it has been largely left...more Why hasn’t this topic been covered more for the older kid/teen crowd? I absolutely adored this debut and immediately went searching for books involving Castro’s Cuba and Operation Pedro Pan, but I have found…sigh…two others. Yep. (Leaving Glorytown and Jumping off to Freedom, the former looking far more compelling; also, Countdown deals with the American side of the Cuban Missile Crisis.) This era is so highly charged politically and emotionally, it truly baffles me that it has been largely left untouched, especially now that enough time has passed. Anyhow.

What’s so great about The Red Umbrella? We get to see the intensity surrounding the rapid change Cuba went through in the communist takeover. Every chapter begins with a headline from a U.S. newspaper (which includes the date), and so we see how, on a daily basis, Lucia’s world spirals out of control starting from the time her school is temporarily closed to accommodate the new regime. The book spans almost a year, yet half of the book is devoted to just over a month’s worth of activity. The American headlines continue as chapter headings when Lucia and Frankie flee to the United States, which made me pause to think for a minute: Maybe it would be more effective if Gonzalez used Cuban headlines for this switch? Or maybe the focus should be exclusively on headlines of the U.S.’s efforts in dealing with Cuba? However, I soon realized the continuation to report the events in Cuba (albeit sometimes vague) served as both a reflection of Lucia’s efforts and interest in scouring the newspaper both to acquire language and news of her country as well as a way to demonstrate the drastic difference between Cuba and the U.S—what Lucia had managed to escape.

Lucia serves as a strong main character—we see her develop from her naïveté in coping with the devastating changes imposed by the new regime upon her country, friends, and family. Even though the years are 1961-62 and include enough popular culture and technological references/items in line with the era, Lucia’s experiences as a 14- and 15-year-old girl are absolutely sympathetic. She deals with losing friends and making them; standing up to aggressive boys as well as sweet ones; coping with the expectations of her parents for being a teenage girl; and making up her own mind on important political and social issues. On top of everything, Lucia, of course, must learn how to use the English language, and Gonzalez incorporates a fairly substantial amount of Spanish vocabulary (accompanied by a glossary) in the dialogue.

Once Lucia and Frankie were placed with the Baxters in Nebraska, I thought perhaps the story might slow down since they were so far removed geographically from the conflict; however, it only becomes more heart wrenching. I was incredibly moved by how Gonzalez handled the communication between Lucia and her parents and Ivette. I found myself holding my breath waiting for the phone line to connect. I was equally distressed by the gradual dissolution of Lucia’s friendship with Ivette due to Ivette’s allegiance to Castro (and thus, rejection of Lucia “choosing” to live in capitalist America) as written in her letters.

Lucia’s journey as a refugee is unique and compelling, and thankfully sheds light on a crucial point in American and world history barely covered by other juvenile memoir and historical fiction. My library has cataloged The Red Umbrella as YA, but I think it could be used with mature children as early as the upper grades of elementary school.(less)

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Mar 01, 2012 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

I adored this book! What a sweet story seeped in such a sad history. The story is about a Cuban family from a small seaside town who makes the awful decision to send their children alone to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan. The author does a fabulous job of showing the love this family has for each other through the eyes of a 14 year old girl while including normal 14 year old rebellious feelings. The historical information was minimal and women throughout the story in an unobtrusive way....more

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Feb 23, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-fiction, historical, website

Lucia lives an idyllic life in Cuba. All she thinks about is her quinca, her friends and if Manuel will dance with her. Then Castro comes to power and everything changes. People start getting arrested, her parents become afraid, school is cancelled. Finally her parents decide to send her and her brother to America. They first go to Miami where they live in camps, then they are sent to live with the Baxters in Nebraska. Lucia and Frankie have to adjust to life in America, they have to learn Engli...more Lucia lives an idyllic life in Cuba. All she thinks about is her quinca, her friends and if Manuel will dance with her. Then Castro comes to power and everything changes. People start getting arrested, her parents become afraid, school is cancelled. Finally her parents decide to send her and her brother to America. They first go to Miami where they live in camps, then they are sent to live with the Baxters in Nebraska. Lucia and Frankie have to adjust to life in America, they have to learn English, they have to learn to live without their parents.

This is a wonderful book about a part of history I knew nothing about. I had never heard about the Pedro Pan Project. I had no idea 14000 Cuban children were sent to the United States when Castro came to power. I can't imagine the heartache and fear that the kids must have felt to leave everything they know behind and move to another country without knowing if they will even see their parents again. The afterward of the book states that the majority of the kids were reunited with their parents but some never saw them again.

At the beginning of this book Lucia is a your typical spoiled teenager who really only thinks of herself. She is not aware of what is going on around her and doesn't have a care in the world. As the book progresses she matures a lot and becomes someone who looks out for others and has an awareness of the world and what goes on. I think the book is a pretty realistic portrayal of what happened in Cuba, but it is shown in a kid friendly way. The violence is hinted at and shown but it is not thrown in the reader's faces or graphic. This was not a pleasant time in Cuba and that is not covered up, but this is also a children's book and that is taken into account which I appreciate.

The one thing I think is glossed over is the transition to America. Lucia and Frankie do have a very difficult time when they are in the camps in Miami, but there time in Nebraska seems almost too easy. They don't have language problems or problems fitting in at school or making friends. I would think that there would be more issues being the only Cuban/Latino people in the middle of Nebraska at a time when there are probably only white people in the town. I find it hard to believe that the kids were that accepting of them. I think it reads great for a kids book, but I don't find it that realistic. Still I think this was a wonderful book and I recommend it. (less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Barb Middleton rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical

Lucia’s world is crumbling. Her school has been shut down. Her neighbors are being thrown into prison or killed for disagreeing with the Cuban revolutionists. Her best friend has joined the brigades and is leaving for military training.

Lucia’s family faces danger when her father becomes labeled a dissident. Lucia and her brother flee to the U.S. with other children to live in a foster home while her parents wait to get exit VISAs.

The pacing is fast and the characters well-developed in this book....more Lucia’s world is crumbling. Her school has been shut down. Her neighbors are being thrown into prison or killed for disagreeing with the Cuban revolutionists. Her best friend has joined the brigades and is leaving for military training.

Lucia’s family faces danger when her father becomes labeled a dissident. Lucia and her brother flee to the U.S. with other children to live in a foster home while her parents wait to get exit VISAs.

The pacing is fast and the characters well-developed in this book. The author does a nice job but it isn’t loaded with historical facts. The story revolves mainly around characters and friendships. I thought the author could have captured more of the fear and overwhelming feelings of what it is like traveling to another country and living with different people. I kept thinking of how hard it is being illiterate in a different country: not being able to read signs, getting yelled at when you can’t figure out the change in the grocery store, being passed over in line because of looking different, to helplessly stare at a form because you can’t read the language to know how to fill it out. I think the author could have captured the tension and fear better in the part when Lucia and her brother, Frankie, entered the U.S. It is the little things that can be overwhelming; plus, Lucia had to look out for Frankie. The author does do a nice job with showing misunderstandings when learning a language and how funny slang can be.

While the language is easy-to-read and at a grade 4 or 5 level, this book has some adult themes in it which is why I put it under Young Adult. There is some violence such as when the prisoners are executed, but Lucia and Frankie don’t actually see it, they just hear the gun shots. Lucia also sees a neighbor hanging from a tree in the park. He was murdered for organizing a protest against the revolutionaries. Lucia gets a letter from her best friend who gets raped at camp although the word “rape” is never used and some might just think she was attacked by a man. Lucia also has an unpleasant encounter with a boy at a dance that she likes but who is overly affectionate toward her.
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Jan 21, 2012 Patricia O'Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lucia likes bright red nail polish and skirts that swing. She reads Seventeen Magazine like a typical American teenage girl. But she is not American, and her life is not typical. It is Cuba, 1961, and Lucia’s beautiful, romantic world is being destroyed by the revolution. Lucia’s friends have all joined the Jóvenes Rebeldes and the cute boy from math class acts like an arrogant brigadista. Her parents now whisper behind closed doors and won’t let Lucia and her little brother, Frankie, outside th...more

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Jan 09, 2012 Eric rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is a thrilling story that gives a sense of what life was like for both those in Cuba and those who were from Cuba but in America during Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution. Although the book itself is fiction it is based on the story of the author’s parents who, during the revolution, were among the over 10,000 unescorted minors sent to America through Operation Pedro Pan.
The book begins with the 14 year-old Lucía in her hometown in Cuba. She complains...more The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez is a thrilling story that gives a sense of what life was like for both those in Cuba and those who were from Cuba but in America during Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution. Although the book itself is fiction it is based on the story of the author’s parents who, during the revolution, were among the over 10,000 unescorted minors sent to America through Operation Pedro Pan.
The book begins with the 14 year-old Lucía in her hometown in Cuba. She complains that her parents wont let her go anywhere, and that they don’t tell her anything that is going on. At night, Lucía describes her parents as hunched over the radio looking scared. Her friend Ivette assures Lucía that the revolution is a good thing. Lucía doesn’t realize that the revolution is actually hurting people until she sees some of the soldiers of the revolution committing atrocities against innocent people, people that she knows, people her parents know. And everywhere her family looks, more people are joining the revolution including her uncle and even her friend Ivette. Lucía’s whole world is being turned upside down by the revolution. Her family is even considered traitorous for not giving away their possesions for which the government might have “a better use” (69) for. Eventually it is just too much and Lucía and her younger brother Frankie are sent away by their parents to America where they go from Miami to their foster home in Wisconsin. There they try to fit in with the other kids, while at the same time they are missing their home and family in Cuba.
In the story there are some twists that you don’t see coming and some you do see coming, so you have to be on your toes with that. Because sometimes nothing is happening for one or two chapters (the chapters are short) then BAM, there’s a plot twist.
Also, this book has a lot of Spanish words and phrases embedded in the English, and although there is a glossary of these terms, it would help to know some of them.
The story is interesting and the characters are well created. Some of them are quirky and funny, and some are serious, but they are all well written about. This book will keep you interested to the very end.(less)

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Jan 08, 2012 Will rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Red Umbrella captures the complex Cuban Revolution through young girls eyes. Lucia is going through what many young people are going through right now in the Middle East, and that is change. This change can be for the better or for the worst. Lucia’s personal life swiftly changes as the book and revolution progresses. She watches as her friends and family get torn a part by the sides of the revolution. “It stinks when family betrays you. It happened to us too. I think it was my mom’s cousin...more The Red Umbrella captures the complex Cuban Revolution through young girls eyes. Lucia is going through what many young people are going through right now in the Middle East, and that is change. This change can be for the better or for the worst. Lucia’s personal life swiftly changes as the book and revolution progresses. She watches as her friends and family get torn a part by the sides of the revolution. “It stinks when family betrays you. It happened to us too. I think it was my mom’s cousin who turned in my dad,” said Laura to Lucia about families betraying each other. The author, Christina Diaz Gonzalez, uses powerful words to describe images and events that happened in the Cuban Revolution. What makes this book so special is that the events are based off of Christina Diaz Gonzales’ own experience. However she uses different characters to make up this fantastic book.

I found a few similarities in the Red Umbrella to the Kite Runner. I thought that this was a less intense and less graphic book than the Kite Runner but they still had similarities. For one, they both showed the hardships of seeing change their country. Second of all they both showed how hard it is to get used to America after being in another country. In the Kite Runner the father mostly shows the strain, but in the Red Umbrella the strain is spread out equally on both the parents and the children.

The book contains incredible detail about Cuban culture. Christina Diaz Gonzalez uses a variety options to make this book have Cuban/ Latino flair to it. She uses Spanish language and phrases, traditional Cuban food, and describes the streets, people, stores and houses vividly. In the back of the book there is a glossary/translator that gives you the meaning of every Spanish word that was used in the book. For me, this is what made the book great. I felt by using Spanish words and adding culture to the book, made the book very authentic. I felt that the author/narrator was talking to me as if I was a childhood friend from Cuba. In the book she tells me about her best friend, her family, her relationship, and lastly her troubles with all three of those topics. I have a passion for history, current events and learning about other culture. This book covered all of that while still having a main story line. She balanced that all together by not having it completely fictional but also not making it look like a textbook. Throughout the book before every chapter there would be a headline about Cuba from a different publication in the U.S. The book portrayed how to be a good sibling, friend and family, all of which are extremely important values to have as things are changing.
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Jan 08, 2012 Alex rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Red Umbrella is a very good, well-written book, that intertwines a little bit of Cuban culture with the troubles of the Castro-run revolution, presented through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl.
This book starts out with Lucía and her family all living a happy life, but then Lucía and her brother, Frankie, start to see soldiers, who are part of Fidel Castro’s revolution, in their town. Members of the brigades and other people in support of the Castro-run revolution start to take over Lucía’s...more The Red Umbrella is a very good, well-written book, that intertwines a little bit of Cuban culture with the troubles of the Castro-run revolution, presented through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl.
This book starts out with Lucía and her family all living a happy life, but then Lucía and her brother, Frankie, start to see soldiers, who are part of Fidel Castro’s revolution, in their town. Members of the brigades and other people in support of the Castro-run revolution start to take over Lucía’s small town, Puerto Mijares. One of Lucía's friends sees her on the street and says to her, "I wouldn't go down Central Avenue. Something was happening over there a few minutes ago. There were a ton of soldiers, and that many of hem can't be good" (p.52). Lucía's friend says this when notices that the revolution has come to their town. All of the kids in her town are going to the Jóvenes meetings, which her parents are not letting her go to because they talk about and promote the revolution. People in her town become suspicious of Lucía's family because they are not attending any pro-revolution meetings. The revolutionists will not hesitate to kill any anti-revolutionists. Eventually Lucía’s parents have to make the toughest choice of their lives, to send Lucía and Frankie to America. When the parents are telling Lucía that her and Frankie are going to America, her father says to her, "Mi hija [my daughter], you're old enough to know that it's our only real choice. These brigades are only the beginning" (107). Her father's tone is very heartfelt and serious because he cannot stand the idea of having to send his children away to an unknown country.
When Lucía comes to America with Frankie they try to fit in with everyone else, learn how to speak fluent English, and try to stay together and not be separated.
Although the book is mostly English there are Spanish words throughout the book to indicate that they are speaking in Spanish. I think that this is a very good way to convey the fact that Lucía and Frankie are not American and have retained some of their Cuban culture in America. An example of Spanish words in the book is when Lucía says to her mom, "Te quiero, Mamá" (266). Lucía is speaking to her mom from America over the phone.
In the beginning of the book, before Lucía and Frankie go to America, as the reader, you get to see a glimpse of the lifestyle of someone from Cuba. It is very interesting to experience Cuban lifestyle and especially during the revolution. It shows readers a culture that not many people are exposed to. It also educates readers about lifestyles and it shows how not everybody has the same beliefs and same way of life as you. It is also interesting to see the Cuban revolution through the eyes of a 14-year-old girl. It shows the reader a different point of view and perspective than normally seen and expected. It shows how children saw their parents handling the revolution and how the kids were feeling and handling the revolution.
The only bad part about the book was that I couldn’t tell sometimes whether the characters in the book were speaking in Spanish or in English. Although sometimes the author clarified this, other times it was not clear. This made the book’s tone a little harder to figure out at times. When it was the clear if the characters were speaking in Spanish or English I could really feel the tone and see it without even having to think.
Even though I couldn’t tell at some points whether the book was in English or Spanish the Red Umbrella is an amazing book that I would definitely recommend reading. This book gives you a clear picture of Cuban culture and an incredibly detailed view into the life of a Cuban family during the Castro-run revolution.
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Jul 25, 2011 Fred Gorrell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-youth

In the Red Umbrella, two middle class children from a small town in Cuba are sent by their parents to the United States, where they live for many months in foster care on a Nebraska farm. The 14-year old girl and her younger brother were part of the Operation Pedro Pan migration of Cuban children to the US during the first years of the Castro regime.

The author does a great job of translating the political issues of the time into concerns comprehensible to the young readers for whom she wrote the...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Patsi Trollinger rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have a friend whose family fled from Cuba when Castro came to power, and her stories have mesmerized me for years. I keep telling her she needs to write a book, but she has no interest in doing that .... So I was thrilled to discover that someone else has filled that void in children's lit. Christina Gonzalez has managed to communicate some of the horrors that accompanied the political shift without ever swamping her readers in grief. Instead, you develop a personal connection with the teenage...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Marcy rated it 5 of 5 stars

When you read this book, you will gain a greater understanding of Cuba's revolution, and the impact it had on people who lived in Cuba who were "eliminated" because they did not buy into Castro's Communist government. In the early 60's, Cuban children were being removed from their parents' homes to be indoctrinated in government boarding schools. Lucia's father, considered an anti-revolutionary, lost his bank job and through family betrayal, had all their hard-earned jewelry and possessions take...more

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Oct 05, 2010 Cindy Hudson rated it 5 of 5 stars

During the midst of the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960s, thousands of children were sent alone to live with relatives or be taken in by aid agencies in the U. S. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, tells the fictional story of two of these children.

When the revolution first began, life didn’t change much in the Alvarez household. Lucia still read fashion magazines with her best friend Ivette, and Lucia’s little brother Frankie liked riding his bike and spying on soldiers. But eventu...more During the midst of the Cuban Revolution in the early 1960s, thousands of children were sent alone to live with relatives or be taken in by aid agencies in the U. S. The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, tells the fictional story of two of these children.

When the revolution first began, life didn’t change much in the Alvarez household. Lucia still read fashion magazines with her best friend Ivette, and Lucia’s little brother Frankie liked riding his bike and spying on soldiers. But eventually they began to notice more tension in their home as their father came under increasing pressure at work. Their parents’ friends began disappearing, and kids their age began joining a revolutionary youth corps before their parents decided that Lucia and Frankie would leave their home to live with a foster family in the U.S.

Gonzalez’s vivid prose brings Cuba of the 1960s to life with all its vibrant colors, spicy food, and tropical climate all in a backdrop of revolutionary tensions. No one knows who to trust anymore; even family members and best friends turn against each other. Each chapter starts with a headline about Cuba pulled from newspapers across the U.S. It’s a great way to compare how the revolution was viewed in this country as compared to how it was being experienced by Cubans.

Through Lucia’s eyes you fall in love with the Cuba she longs to have back again and worry for the family and friends she leaves behind. As Lucia and Frankie struggle to adjust in a country where they barely speak the language and a state where it snows in winter, they also learn the outside world’s perspective of their homeland.

Gonzalez based her story on the experiences of her parents and thousands of other children who came to the U.S. in a program known as Operation Pedro Pan. The tale she weaves in The Red Umbrella is more than great historical fiction about an event that still affects the lives of Cubans and Cuban exiles, it is also a tribute to the courage the children of exile showed in the face of immense uncertainty and upheaval. I highly recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 9 to 14.
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Oct 01, 2010 Liza rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bfya2011, young-adult

This book was marketed very poorly. From the cover to the story itself, the whole book would have done better as adult memoir/fiction for the women's book club crowd.

The story of two Cuban children sent to America to escape Castro's reign of terror in the early 60s was oddly sweet and idealistic. Gonzalez hints at the really bad stuff, but mostly stays away from it.

The red umbrella itself as a device was used perfectly - simply and sparsely. Each time the umbrella was used, I felt glad that I w...more

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Sep 13, 2010 Diane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, hispanic

It's 1961 Cuba and things are changing rapidly. There are rumors of people disappearing, schools have closed, white collar/educated adults are losing their jobs, young people are being recruited to take Castro's message to the masses. 14 year old Lucia and her brother Frankie are noticing the changes, but other than some restrictions on their activities, are not really affected much. Until Lucia returns home after witnessing an execution in the town square. When the police come to the house &...more

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Aug 13, 2010 Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s, fiction, historical-fiction, ya

I'm still digesting this book as I knew next to nothing about this period in history (Castro's revolutionary Cuba) and the author gives you a lot to think about.... Lucia is a 14 year old girl living in Cuba in 1961, who loves fashion magazines, day dreaming about boys, and dances, as Castro's revolution comes to her small village. Friendships, families, and ways of life are wretchedly changed. When it is no longer safe for Lucia and her brother, her parents send them to the US as part of Operat...more

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Aug 10, 2010 June Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's the beginning of the Cuban Revolution. Castro is engaging followers that the USA is filled with cheaters. Lucia and Frankie, children of a affluent family, begin to see things in their daily lives that encourages them to ask questions to their parents. Even extended family members seem to be different. One day, Lucia is asked to go to the pharmacy because her brother is ill. On her way home, she witnesses the lynching of the pharmacist because the revolutionaries believe that he is sympathe...more

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Jul 17, 2010 Cjrayl rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gonzalez, Christina Diaz. 2010. The Red Umbrella. Alfred A. Knopf. New York: New York.
ISBN: 970375861901
Historical, realistic fiction
Grades 6 - 12

Lucia and her little brother are sent out of Cuba to escape the Cuba regime and being sent to camps for reeducation. Once in Miami, they are briefly separated but come back together when sent to live with an elderly couple in Nebraska. During this time they learn English, the ways of a farm, and what the United States is really like. Lucia finds that t...more

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Nov 07, 2009 Kay Cassidy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I've been wanting to read The Red Umbrella ever since I saw the deal announced and was lucky enough to get to read an ARC. There was something about the premise that struck a chord with me from that first announcement, and I knew it would be special. I just didn't realize why until I started reading.

I'm a second generation American. My grandparents immigrated just in time for the Great Depression (not great timing, to be sure). The Red Umbrella made me appreciate my own heritage in ways I haven'...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Doret rated it 3 of 5 stars

14 yr old Lucia Alverez is excited about an unexpected break from school, thanks to Castro's revolution. Lucia's parents fear for her safety. Lucia and her younger brother Frankie can't leave the house. When Lucia and Frankie sneak out, they see their dad's boss interrogated and threatened by Castro's men. Slowly, Lucia begins to realize the Cuba, she knows and loves is changing. When Castro came into power, family and friends became enemies. Lucia and her best friend Ivette, grow apart. Ivette...more 14 yr old Lucia Alverez is excited about an unexpected break from school, thanks to Castro's revolution. Lucia's parents fear for her safety. Lucia and her younger brother Frankie can't leave the house. When Lucia and Frankie sneak out, they see their dad's boss interrogated and threatened by Castro's men. Slowly, Lucia begins to realize the Cuba, she knows and loves is changing. When Castro came into power, family and friends became enemies. Lucia and her best friend Ivette, grow apart. Ivette joins the Jovenes Rebeldes, a communist youth movement in Cuba. Lucia's parents won't let her join. I didn't instantly like Lucia. She fought her parents, and didn't understand why they were against Castro.

Somewhere along the way, I realized a 14 yr old who is forced to stay home (even if there's a good reason) will fight their parents. Also Castro's ideas looked good to Lucia because they differed from her parents. The early tension between Lucia and her parents, made it easy for me to imagine parents and children choosing different sides. If things had gone differently, Lucia could've run away and joined Jovenes Rebeldes. This was one of the books strengths. Gonzalez allows the reader to consider what if. What if Frankie hadn't gotten sick, and Lucia never passed that oak tree?

After the oak tree, Lucia has seen too much and trust her parents completely. Lucia's parents try to give the impression that they support Castro, in hopes that it will keep them safe. Its not enough. They are worried about the safety of Lucia and her younger brother, Frankie. They decide to send Lucia and Frankie to the U.S. alone. Between 1960 and 1962 ( Red Umbrella, 1961) Operation Pedro Pan was in effect. Many Cuban parents who were against Castro sent there children to the U.S. alone.

Lucia and Frankie are in Miami for a short time. The two are placed with a husband and wife in Nebraska. They keep in touch with their parents through letters and the occasional phone call. The author does of allowing the reader to feel Lucia's experiences. The Alveraz family connection and love is very strong. I thought the author could've developed certain aspects a little more. One day Lucia runs into Laura, a classmate. Her father was arrested for spreading anti -revolutionary lies. I thought Laura woud've made a good character I would've loved a conversation about Castro's ideology between Lucia and Laura.

The author used, Ivette to give a voice to Castro's belief, with letters to Lucia. They didn't feel natural to the story. It was the only time the Gonzalez faltered in blending fact with fiction.

The Red Umbrella is wonderful read. Gonzalez tells a great story. A red umbrella makes a few appearances, I especially loved the last one. The author has mastered the art of symbolism. There aren't many middle grade novels about how Castro's rule impacted Cuban families. I believe this is the first one about Operation Pedro Pan. Its a very good first.

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Nov 10, 2012 Robin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was our first YA read for book club. The subject matter interested us as most of us had not heard of the 1959 exodus of Cuban children sent to the US whithout their parents at the beginning of the Castro regime and Cuban revolution.

"Between November 1960 and October 1962, over 14,000 children, mostly Catholic although some were Jewish or Protestant, ages 6 to 17 were sent to the U.S. by their parents in Operation Peter Pan. These children were taken out under the care of the Catholic Church...more

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