THE LATINA BOOK CLUB

Every Wednesday   The Latina Book Club   will feature excerpts  from exciting novels by Latino authors. This excerpt seems most apropos because of the death of the real Fidel Castro this past week.  THE DEATH OF FIDEL PEREZ By Elizabeth Huergo Unbridled Books *Excerpt One particular good citizen, Saturnina, was squatting on a doorstep just a few blocks away, feeding a hard biscuit to a hungry stray dog, when she heard the news that Fidel and his brother had fallen. Saturnina rose from her corolla of ragged skirts and began to walk toward the throng of people gathering before the building and spilling over into the street, blocking the morning traffic. Though she could see nothing of what had happened, in a swirl of petticoats and skirts she began to mimic the words she heard: “¡Socorro! ¡Fidel calló! Help! Fidel has fallen!” Saturnina, Sybil of the succulent bit of news that lodges like a string of pork gristle in the space betwee...

"Camilo could see how the calm assertiveness with which he had told his compatriots they were free had opened the invisible sluice gates, giving this enormous human mass its direction and thrust." Unbridled Books, 2013 What would happen in Cuba if Fidel Castro and his brother fell? "Fidel cayo.   Fidel Callo.   Fidel silenced.   Fidel fell." Such is the premise of Elizabeth Huergo's book.   It all begins with a -- hopeful? -- error. Fidel Perez is drunk and heartbroken; he's shouting for his ex-lover when the balcony gives way.   His brother rushes to his rescue, but unfortunately, both fall to their deaths on the anniversary of the Moncada Army Barracks Riad of 1953.   A fitting day to die, some say.   As one neighbor yells to the other that Fidel and his brother are dead.   Others hear the shouts and confuse one set of brothers for another. Readers will see the island's past and present through the sad, hurting eyes of the...