From hell to hell : the saga of a Cuban refugee

A Cuban refugee family recently arrived in a raft discovers that Miami is "the old Cuba before the revolution," full of traditions and values of the past, energized by the memories and vanishing hopes for returning home. The exiles feel that accepting permanence in America will give Castro another victory. Their children fully relish and empathize with Cuban traditions but they strongly feel that they are Americans to stay, to make a life here. Are we ever going back? Will it be the same? Can my children remember? Am I going to die without seeing my country again? Where will I be buried? Revolving around Cuba and its memories, reflects the values and traditions of these people. Food, music, cigars, santeria, traditions, refranes, love affairs, Spanglish, become the framework to understand not only their nostalgia but what makes them who they are today. Ernesto, the main character, who fought with Castro in the hills and later spent 20 years in jail, remembers his past and shares his experiences, bringing a realization of the times Cuba is going through today. He finds older Cubans obsessed by their memories of a Cuba he knows no longer exists. Freedon is not free. Jose Sanchez, Cuban born, left his country at 19, right after Castro taking power. After having experienced the "good life" in Cuba he found himself with nothing when emigrated here. He obtained an engineering and masters degree from American universities and worked for 27 years for a large Fortune 500 company. He then started his own management consulting company and has given management lectures to top executives worldwide. A father of four American born children, Jose has experienced many of these feelings himself .He has worked with many civic organizations and helped process arriving refugees, an event that had a major impact on his being.