Cuba : going back

“A subtle yet striking collection of sepia-like photographs depicting life in Cuba, coupled with the perceptive observations of a Cuban exile returning home.” — Miami Herald Imagine being unable to return to your homeland for thirty-six years. What would you do if you finally got a chance to go back? In 1996, after travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba were relaxed, Cuban exile Tony Mendoza answered that question. Taking his cameras, notebooks, and an unquenchable curiosity, he returned for his first visit to Cuba since the summer of 1960, when he emigrated with his family at age eighteen. In this book he presents over eighty evocative photographs accompanied by a beautifully written text that mingles the voices of many Cubans with his own to offer a compelling portrait of a resilient people awaiting the inevitable passing of the socialist system that has failed them. His photographs and interviews bear striking witness to the hardships and inequalities that exist in this workers’ “paradise,” where the daily struggle to make ends meet on an average income of eight dollars a month has created a longing for change even in formerly ardent revolutionaries. At the same time, Cuba—Going Back is an eloquent record of a personal journey back in time and memory that will resonate with viewers and readers both within and beyond the Cuban American community. It belongs on the shelves of anyone who values excellent photography and well-crafted prose. “This book, based on the photos and interviews he conducted on his trip, is a remarkable first-hand account of today’s Cuba.” — Library Journal "Imagine not going home for thirty-six years. Think of never seeing the house where you grew up, never hearing the sounds of the city streets, never feeling the sea breeze on the beach where you spent all your childhood summers. What would you do if you finally got a change to go back?"--BOOK JACKET. "When travel restrictions between the United States and Cuba were relaxed in the 1990s, Cuban exile Tony Mendoza answered that question. Taking the tools of his trade - cameras, notebooks, and unquenchable curiosity - he returned in 1996 for a twenty-one day visit to the country his family left for good in the summer of 1960, when he was eighteen. From the eighty rolls of film he shot, he here presents over eighty of the most evocative photos accompanied by a beautifully written text that mingles the voices of many Cubans with his own to offer a compelling portrait of a resilient people awaiting the inevitable passing of the socialist system that has failed them."--BOOK JACKET. Presents over eighty photographs accompanied by a written text that mingles the voices of many Cubans with the author's own to offer a compelling portrait of a resilient people awaiting the inevitable passing of the socialist system that has failed them. Presents eighty photographs taken upon Tony Mendoza's return to Cuba in 1996 after living in the U.S. for thirty-six years; and includes text in which Mendoza discusses the people of Cuba and conditions in the country.