Grieving for Guava: Stories (Contemporary Poetry And Prose)

Castro's Communist regime took control of Cuba in 1959, sparking a surge of immigrants to the US, most notably Miami, which has continued to present day. In turn, Miami has become a unique blend of American and Latin American cultures, resembling the other great Latin American capitals of the world. Yet as immigrants continue to relocate to the southern Florida landscape, feelings of loss remain in their hearts. It is this experience of longing that Cecilia Fernandez explores in Grieving for Guava. In her compelling collection of short stories, Fernandez takes a deeper look into the lives of those who leave everything behind, even the home they love, for the hope of safety and stability. The opening story, Marusa's Beach," unravels the generational costs of immigration and how the yearning of a parent or grandparent can be passed down, even unconsciously, to their children and grandchildren. Marusa is the third in a line of Marusa's mourning the loss of their home. Marusa III feels the intensity of her mother and grandmother's yearnings for home to such an extreme that she is compelled to return there, whatever the cost. "Mad Magi" sits in the dissatisfaction of the fractured relationships and loss of purpose that come with starting over in a place that is not your own. The final story, "Why I Didn't Run," concludes the work by contrasting nostalgia in "Marusa's Beach." The main character of this story, Meri, does not seem to possess the same desires of her parents and rebels against them. While Marusa runs to her home because of the longing of her mother and grandmother, Meri flees because of the disruption such grieving has inflicted on her life. A commentary on Cuban immigrant culture, these nine stories grapple with the ramifications of uprooting one's life and attempting to settle down somewhere new. Fernandez artfully weaves together the complicated lives of her characters to produce an overarching sense of yearning over what once was, transforming grief into an even more powerful force. This timely collection will add a dynamic, human voice to the dialogue surrounding immigration in today's politically charged climate"--

• | Author: Cecilia M. Fernandez
• | Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• | Publication Date: April 21, 2020
• | Number of Pages: 152 pages
• | Language: English
• | Binding: Hardcover
• | ISBN-10: 0813178975
• | ISBN-13: 9780813178974