Escape From Castro S Cuba

 In 1959, Fidel Castro assumed power in Cuba after overthrowing the government of Fulgencio Batista. In response, thousands of Cubans fled the island, mostly to the United States. This book tells the stories of these Cubans in exile, all of whom overcame great obstacles to escape the brutal Castro regime. Neither a history of Cuba nor of Castro, this book illuminates the underrepresented legacy of the Cuban Exile Community and celebrates their continued thriving in a new country.

In this visionary sequel to Castro's Curveball, former Minor League catcher Billy Bryan finds himself back in Havana in 2016 with a small film role. He soon realizes that this place and his past remain as star-crossed as when he played winter ball in the Cuban capital decades before.

Cuban-born Ozzie Sabina often asks himself, "What would life have been like if Fidel Castro had opened a law practice in Cuba instead of starting a revolution?" There's no doubt Castro's reign in Cuba changed a lot of lives, including that of author Ozzie Sabina. He escaped the country with his thirteen-year-old brother, William, in 1962 with the help of the United States and Operation Pedro Pan-a concerted effort that relocated more than 14,000 Cuban children. My Escape from Cuba is Sabina's story of growing up in Cuba and his subsequent move to the United States when he was only sixteen years old. This memoir encompasses much of Sabina's life: from growing up in a small town in Cuba, to his school days and his love of his close-knit family, to his first airplane trip to the United States, mastering the English language, and living with a new family in St. Petersburg, Florida. A compelling story that gives firsthand insight into what life was like in Cuba in the late 1950s and early 1960s; My Escape from Cuba shows the determination and courage of a young man making the most of his new life.

Cuba and Beyond...The Journey, is the true story of a privileged Cuban family pursuing a life of distinguished medical service until Fidel Castro comes to power and their world collapses overnight. Their ever-increasing suffering is accompanied by a years-long plight to escape the clutches of Castro's merciless regime. The story focuses on Felipe, a prosperous surgeon, and his wife Clara, a psychologist, who are left behind in Cienfuegos, known as La Perla del Sur (the Pearl of the South), to face the increasing repressions and deprivations of a despotic and violent government. This highly personal and memorable story shares how the historic events of the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the arrival of 43,000 Russian troops impacts the daily lives of Felipe, Clara, their family, and friends. All of them witness their beautiful Cienfuegos, homeland, and culture deteriorate as the Cuban people descend inexorably into despair, until recent events provide a glimmer of hope and restoration.

As a boy Frank Mederos’ grandfather teaches him to fish, to navigate the seas, and to think for himself, much needed skills under the new Castro regime. When Frank is drafted into the army, he is soon promoted to the Special Forces, where he is privy to top military secrets. But young Frank has no sympathy for Fidel. He thirsts for freedom and longs to join his girlfriend who has left Cuba for America. Frank yearns to defect, but his timing couldn’t be worse. After two unsuccessful escape attempts, Frank learns that the departure of the next available boat conflicts with upcoming military exercises. If he stays, he will miss the boat. If he doesn’t, he will be the object of a massive manhunt. Problems abound: How will Frank escape the army base without being seen? Where will he hide until the boat comes? How can he outwit his commanding officer? And how can he elude hundreds of soldiers ordered to bring him back “dead or alive”? Frank’s true story, a tale of love, loss and courage that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page is turned.

Named a 2021 Top Thriller by Alta Journal ​2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist in Action/Adventure Fiction 2021 Professional Achievement Award, Johns Hopkins University faculty Finalist for the 2021 CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year In this visionary sequel to Castro’s Curveball, the former Washington Senators Minor League catcher has returned to Havana with a small role in a movie being filmed on location. Billy Bryan soon realizes that this place and his past remain as star-crossed as when he played winter ball in the Cuban capital decades before. Against his better judgment, Billy becomes entangled in a scheme to spirit a top baseball prospect off the island. This pits him against his old friend Fidel Castro. Despite being in his final days, the dictator remains a dangerous adversary, as does the Cuban sports machine and the Mexican crime syndicates that now direct baseball talent toward the U.S. Major Leagues. In Escape from Castro’s Cuba, Billy must once again navigate the crosscurrents of the so-called City of Columns: a place where the sunsets from the Hotel Nacional along the Malecón breakwater are as beautiful as ever, but where the alleyways in Old Havana still fan out, crooked and broken, like an old catcher’s fingers.

The author looks back at his childhood in Cuba, exploring the effects of the uncertain times and revolutionary upheaval on his family and their dreams of escape.