Island Treasures

May 1, 2015
Ada, an award-winning writer and multicultural and bilingual education expert, recounts childhood memories of growing up in Cuba in the 1940s. Filled with heartwarming vignettes of her childhood in Camaguey, Cuba, Ada's memories are also suffused with the importance of family and friends. There was the strong grandmother who brought up five children while principal of two schools and running a farm. And Samone, the hardworking hired hand who became a part of the family. She recalls the night her father unwittingly started a local legend. She remembers the pleasure brought by the windy months of August and September, when she and her parents made and flew kites, and the grief brought by the loss of tio Medardito in a flying accident. Though the stories are evocative and at times powerful, the narration is mixed with adult commentary that might distance young readers. This volume is bookended by two previously published books, Where the Flame Trees Bloom (1994) and the Pura Belpre Award-winning Under the Royal Palms (1998). In addition, the middle of the book consists of new vignettes gathered under the title Days at La Quinta Simoni. There has been no attempt made to unite the three sections of the book, resulting in the repetition of some details. Readers new to Ada's memoirs will be moved and inspired. (author's note, glossary) (Memoir. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2015) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-In this memoir collection, Ada vividly recounts childhood stories, painting pictures with words that allow readers to almost taste Cuban foods, smell her grandmother's talcum, and feel the red clay used to make pottery. Ada presents five original vignettes in the section "Days at La Quinta Simoni," which is sandwiched between her classic Where the Flame Trees Bloom (1994) and her award-winning Under the Royal Palms: A Childhood in Cuba (1998, both S. & S.). Ada adopts the tone of an older adult fondly sharing childhood memories with a beloved child-the reader. She weaves life lessons and Cuban customs and values throughout her recollections of eccentric relatives and community members and incorporates descriptions of childhood joys, tragedies, and humorous anecdotes. Although most Spanish terms are translated or defined within the text, a glossary aids those new to the language. VERDICT A lovely addition to memoir collections.-Ruth Quiroa, National Louis University, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.