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Jonathan Yardley Cuban exile, American nomad
LEARNING TO DIE IN MIAMI
Confessions of a Refugee Boy By Carlos Eire Free Press. 307 pp. $26
I
n April 1962, 11-year-old Carlos Eire and his older brother Tony were put on an airplane in
Havana and sent off to Florida, “thrown onto a well-oiled conveyor belt that receives pampered Cuban children every few days, sorts them out, and ships themall over the United States, preferably as far from Florida as possible.” Castro was firmly in charge, and the scary dimensions of his regime were beginning to become clear, 21/2
years after the revolution
that swept away the corrupt despot Fulgencio Batista and replaced it, as it turned out, with corruption and despotismof another sort. Likemany other Cuban parents, Eire’smother and father feared for their boys’ future and chose to send theminto exile, while that was still possible, “for our own protection.”
Not until later, after he landed inMiami
and was placed in a resettlement camp, did Carlos come to understand that he and Tony were part of amass evacuation called Operation Pedro Pan: “Fourteen thousand and sixty-four boys and girls, some as young as three years old, were shipped off to the United States by desperate parents, warehoused out of sight, redistributed at lightning speed, scattered to the four winds. Tome, this seemed normal. It’s what nearly all ofmy childhood friends were going through too. It seemed so commonplace that it tookme twenty years to come to grips with itsmonstrous abnormality, the questions I should have asked at the time, and the rage I had to bury deep inside.” Eire, who is now the T. Lawrason Riggs
professor of history and religious studies at Yale University and the author of several scholarly books, has attempted to come to terms with his past by writing two works of autobiography. The first, “Waiting for Snow in Havana,” won the National Book Award in nonfiction in 2003, the year of its publication; it is about his last years in Cuba and the transformation of a country he loved (his family was relatively privileged, his father a respected judge) into a bleak, repressive totalitarian state. Eire is no apologist for Batista, for whomit is just about impossible tomake a sympathetic case on any grounds, but he obviously believes that Cubans of all social classes are far worse off under Castro.
feeling “of being stuck with no one butmyself for eternity.” Nevermind that inMiami a married couple named Norma and Louis Chait took himin formanymonths in their “wonderful house,” just as friends of theirs nearby took in Tony, and gave himlove and material gifts. Nevermind that when he was sent to live with his Uncle Amado in downstate Illinois, he had “never, ever been so happy.” Nevermind that he is happily married to “lovely Jane,my Jane,” with whom he has three children and with whomhe lives in a leafy, expensive suburb of New Haven. Nevermind all that.When it suits the convenience of his narrative to bleat, he bleats. This is too bad, for his story is strong
CARLOS EIRE Carlos Eire in 1965. Now, in “Learning to Die inMiami,” Eire
turns his attention to his early years inMiami and his subsequent removal to Illinois, with glimpses into the remarkably successful future that awaited himin his adopted land. It is a heartfelt book, at times amoving one, but readersmust be willing to bear with Eire’s maddening prose style, which lurches among slang, sarcasmand solemnity, and his equally maddeningmixture of self-exaltation and self-pity. That his childhood was often difficult is beyond dispute, but on the evidence he himself presents, a number of people were uncommonly kind to him, and he adjusted to his new country with enthusiasm. There was sufficient happiness in his youth for himto look back with satisfaction as well as regret, so the bleating in which fromtime to time he indulges himself soon becomes unattractive. Awakening in his refugee camp on his first
morning in America, Carlos was hit with “the sudden realization that I was now an orphan, at least for the time being.” He “felt totally alone in a dark void, crushed by a great force fromall sides, annihilated by something totally impersonal and uncaring: the force of nothing, of nothingness itself.”With that, he is off and rolling: “To be utterly alone, forever, and to be
painfully aware of one’s eternal loneliness, this is Hell, at leastmy Hell, the one I entered thatmorning for the first ofmany times. Nothing has ever scaredmemore, not even my kidney stones or the worst,most boring, most pretentious, and longest paper at a scholarly conference. Jean-Paul Sartre had it all wrong, lousy existentialist that he was. Hell is not other people. Hell is being utterly abandoned, forever and ever, per omnia saecula saeculorum. Hell is being by yourself forever, having no one to love and no one to love you back. Hell is eternal unrequited love, eternal absence, eternal unfulfillable longing.” Over and over again in these pages Eire tumbles into and out of “The Void,” the
enough without hyping it up with emotional
grandstanding.Most Americans know remarkably little about Operation Pedro Pan and the othermass emigrations fromCuba that followed it, so it is useful to have the testimony of someone who was there, undergoing both the highs and lows that inevitably accompany being wrested froma place one loves and put down in a place indescribably different. TheMiami to which Eire was sent in 1960 was a deeply bigoted place—a decade later, I lived there for five years, and it still was—and “prejudices against Hispanics permeated the entire culture, fromtop to bottom, in amuchmore open way than nowadays.” Gringo schoolboys were especially cruel to him; his response was to try to ignore them, while Tony fought back. Thatmemories of this still rankle is
entirely understandable, but it seems tome that the kindness of the Chaits is themost important aspect of Eire’s time inMiami, not his loneliness at the refugee camp or even the 91/2
months he and Tony spent in amadhouse
foster home that he calls the Palacio de las Cucarachas. If his experiences in Florida had brutalized him, I’d be the first to agree that plunging repeatedly into “The Void” was an understandable long-termresponse, but that didn’t happen. Instead he learned English quickly and well—“No bilingual coddling crap. Learn English, it’s what you need in order to climb out of the bottom. . . . There’s no better way of keeping Hispanics down in the United States than to tell themthat they don’t have to learn English” —and got good grades in school. He did even better in small- town Illinois, which he loved, and once his mother finally was able to join her sons, he overcame adversity in Chicago to thrive academically and, it seems, personally. Plenty of people would happily change places with him, even if itmeant a trip or two into “The Void” along the way. Finally, a word about his title. In this book,
as in “Waiting for Snow in Havana,” Eire uses death as ametaphor for rebirth. All of us, he suggests, die in different ways at different times in our lives and, if we are lucky, profit fromthe experience. Clearly Eire has done just that. He doesn’tmanage to articulate his feelings on the subject, as ismade plain by a long and not very coherent paragraph near the book’s end that begins, “Learning to die is as necessary as learning to breathe.” But cut away all the verbiage, and he’s probably right.
yardleyj@washpost.com
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2010
WASHINGTON BESTSELLERS HARDCOVER
FICTION 1 CROSS FIRE (Little, Brown, $27.99)
1
By James Patterson. Alex Cross tracks a killer in Washington taking aim at corrupt politicos.
2 HELL’S CORNER (Grand Central, $27.99) 3 THE CONFESSION (Doubleday, $28.95) 4 CRESCENT DAWN(Putnam, $27.95) 2
By David Baldacci. This fifth Camel Club entry juggles an assassin’s plot and Osama bin Laden.
4
By John Grisham. After nine years, a man confesses to a murder for which another was imprisoned.
1
By Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler. Dirk Pitt races to stop extremists targeting Muslim holy sites.
5 FULL DARK, NO STARS (Scribner, $27.99) 2
By Stephen King. Murder, revenge and secrets drive these four unsettling tales.
6 THE GIRLWHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST 7 TOWERS OF MIDNIGHT (Tor, $29.99) 26
(Knopf, $27.95). By Stieg Larsson. The Millennium Trilogy ends as Salander hunts for her failed assassin.
3
By Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. The late Jordan’s “Wheel of Time” saga continues.
8 FALL OF GIANTS (Dutton, $36). By Ken Follett 8
The debut of a historical trilogy following five families through the upheavals of the 20th century.
9 LUKA AND THE FIRE OF LIFE (Random House, $25) 10 THE HELP (Amy Einhorn, $24.95)
NONFICTION/GENERAL 1 DECISION POINTS (Crown, $35)
1
By Salman Rushdie. Video games inspire the contours of a fantasy tale of a boy’s quest to rescue his father.
67
By Kathryn Stockett. A frank chronicle of the lives of several black maids working in a town in 1960s Miss.
2
By GeorgeW. Bush. Bush 43 reflects on crucial turning points in both his life and two-term presidency.
2 UNBROKEN: AWORLDWAR II STORY OF 3 DECODED (Spiegel & Grau, $35) 1
SURVIVAL, RESILIENCE, AND REDEMPTION (Random House, $27). By Laura Hillenbrand
1
By Jay-Z. A memoir and homage to hip-hop; also one of Oprah’s “Favorite Things.”
4 BAREFOOT CONTESSA HOWEASY IS THAT? 4
FABULOUS RECIPES&EASY TIPS (Clarkson Potter, $35). By Ina Garten. Stress-free.
5 LIFE (Little, Brown, $29.99). By Keith Richards 6 GUINNESSWORLD RECORDS 2011 4
A brutally honest memoir by the celebrated guitarist and songwriter for the Rolling Stones.
10
(GuinnessWorld Records, $28.95). A new design and an emphasis on U.S.-specific stats.
7 CLEOPATRA: A LIFE (Little, Brown, $29.99) 3
By Stacy Schiff. Classic sources illuminate this biography of the Egyptian queen and icon.
8 EARTH (THE BOOK) (Grand Central, $27.99) 9
By “The Daily ShowWith Jon Stewart.” A cheeky guide to the human race and itsmyriad accomplishments.
9 I REMEMBER NOTHING: AND OTHER REFLECTIONS
(Knopf, $22.95). By Nora Ephron. Personal essays from the award-winning screenwriter.
10 ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE: THE HIDDEN HISTORY
OF THE FINANCIAL CRISIS (Portfolio, $32.95) By Bethany McLean and Joe Nocera
Rankings reflect sales for the week ended Nov. 21, 2010. The charts may not be reproduced without permission from Nielsen BookScan. Copyright 2010 by Nielsen BookScan. (The right-hand column of numbers represents weeks on this list, which premiered in Book World on Jan. 11, 2004. The bestseller lists in print alternate between hardcover and paperback; the complete list can be found online.)
6
LITERARY CALENDAR NOV. 29-DEC. 5, 2010
29MONDAY | 6:30 P.M. Soviet scholar Stephen F. Cohen discusses and signs his new book, “The Victims Return: Survivors of the Gulag After Stalin,” at Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW, 202-387-7638. 7 P.M. Professor Noah Feldman discusses and signs his new book, “Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR’s Great Supreme Court Justices,” at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW, 202-364-1919. 7:30 P.M. Margaret George, author of the historical novel “The Autobiography of Henry VIII:With Notes by His Fool,Will Somers” and the forthcoming “Elizabeth I,” presents a lecture on King Henry VIII at the Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol St. SE. A reception and book signing follow. Tickets are $15; call 202-544-7077 or visit
www.folger.edu for details and to RSVP.
7:30 P.M. Researcher and explorer Dan Buettner reads fromand discusses his new book, “Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue ZonesWay,” as part of the National Geographic Live! series at the National Geographic Society, Grosvenor Auditorium, 1600MSt. NW. Admission is $18 for nonmembers; call 202-857-7700 or visit
www.nglive.org to RSVP. 30 TUESDAY | 11:30 A.M. Former president Jimmy Carter will sign copies (no reading) of his newmemoir, “White House Diary,” at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919. This event is rescheduled fromSeptember and will last one hour. Noon. Local author Thomas B. Allen reads fromand discusses his new book, “Tories: Fighting for the King in America’s First CivilWar,” at the Library of Congress, JamesMadison Bldg., Dining RoomA, 101 Independence Ave.
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NW, 202-707-5221. A book signing follows. 6:45 P.M. Robert Hirst, the general editor of theMark Twain Project and curator of theMark Twain Papers, marks the author’s 175th birthday with a discussion of the recently published first volume of Twain’s “Autobiography” (published by the University of California Press) as part of the Smithsonian Resident Associate Programat the NationalMuseumof Natural History, Baird Auditorium, 10th St. & Constitution Ave. NW. Tickets are $28 for nonmembers; call 202-633-3030 or visit
www.smithsonianassociates.org. 7 P.M. Gay Talese reads fromand discusses the new anthology of his work, “The Silent Season of a Hero: The SportsWriting of Gay Talese,” at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919. A book signing follows. 1WEDNESDAY | 6:30 P.M. Best-selling cook and author Joan Nathan discusses her latest book, “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous:My Search for Jewish Cooking in France,” at the Alliance Française deWashington, 2142 Wyoming Ave. NW. Admission is $10 for the general public, free for AFmembers; call 202-234-7911 or visit
www.francedc.org to RSVP. 7 P.M. Poets Helena Mesa, author of the collection “Horse Dance Underwater,” and Blas Falconer, author of “A Question of Gravity and Light,” read fromtheir work as part of a special alumni reading of theWriters Here & Now series at the University of Maryland, Tawes Hall, Ulrich Recital Hall, College Park,Md. A reception will precede the readings at 6:15 p.m.; call 301-405-3820 or visit
www.english.umd.edu/creativewriting for details. 7 P.M. Matt Taibbi discusses and signs his new book, “Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America,” at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919. 2 THURSDAY | 6:45 P.M. Patrick E.
McGovern, the scientific director of the Biomolecular Archaeology Laboratory for Cuisine, Fermented Beverages, and Health at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, presents a lecture, “Our Intoxicating Quest for the Perfect Drink: It’s Just Human Nature,” drawn fromhis new book, “Uncorking the Past: The Quest forWine, Beer, and Other Alcoholic Beverages,” as part of the Smithsonian Resident Associate Programat the NationalMuseumof the American Indian, Rasmuson Theater, Fourth St. & Independence Ave. SW. A book signing follows. Tickets are $28 for nonmembers; call 202-633-3030 or visit
www.smithsonianassociates.org. 7 P.M. David Rohde and Kristen Mulvihill discuss and sign “A Rope and a Prayer: A Kidnapping FromTwo Sides,” their chronicle of Rohde’s kidnapping while reporting in Afghanistan for the New York Times andMulvihill’s efforts to free him, at Politics and Prose Bookstore, 202-364-1919. 3 FRIDAY | Noon. Stephanie McCurry, a professor of history at the University of Pennsylvania, discusses and signs her new book, “Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in the CivilWar South,” at the National Archives,
WilliamG.McGowan Theater, 700 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 202-357-5000. 4 SATURDAY | 1 P.M. Local pastry chef and entrepreneur Warren Brown, owner of the bakery CakeLove and its sister establishment Love Café, discusses his latest book, “United Cakes of America: Recipes Celebrating Every State,” at the Cultural Arts Center, 15
N.Market St., Frederick,Md., 301-662-4190. A book sale and signing follows. 5 SUNDAY | 6 P.M. Poet and visual artist Judith McCombs joins New York playwright and poet Frederick Feirstein for a reading of their work as part of the monthly poetry series at the Kensington Row Bookshop, 3786 Howard Ave., Kensington,Md., 301-949-9416. An open reading follows. Formore literary events, go to
washingtonpost.com/gog/ and search “book event.”
1 2
Paperback bestsellers at
voices.washingtonpost.com/political-bookworm Wednesday IN STYLE: KateMorton
ATRIA BOOKS
BOOKWORLD THISWEEK
COMINGINSTYLE
MONDAY| The 2007 San Diego wildfires provide the backdrop for Debra Ginsberg’s thriller The Neighbors Are Watching.
TUESDAY | Paul Auster’s novel, Sunset Park, takes place during the 2008 economic collapse.
WEDNESDAY| Herman Melville ships out again in Jay Parini’s biographical novel The Passages of H.M. A castle inhabited by three weird sisters stands at the center of Kate Morton’s neo-gothic novel The Distant Hours. And For Young Readers.
THURSDAY | TheWeekend, Bernhard Schlink’s novel, catches up with members of a 1970s German terrorist group decades after their radical heyday.
FRIDAY | The Dinosaur Hunter is a novel by Homer Hickam, author of “Rocket Boys.”
SATURDAY| In The Marriage Artist, by AndrewWiner, a widower tries to understand what led his wife and her lover to commit suicide.
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Read our blog, Political Bookworm, which focuses on books that stir the national conversation. Join us as we debate the issues and authors making news today.
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