Behind Sons of Cuba by Ellen W. Martin
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What prompted me to spend three years of my life researching and then writing historical fiction about Cuba? Particularly since I prefer reading suspense/thriller novels and now, write them.
In November 1999 a five-year-old Cuban boy by the name of Elian Gonzalez climbed into a seventeen-foot boat with his mother and fourteen other Cubans. This brave group of refugees headed for the shores of the United States only 90-miles away seeking asylum and freedom from tyranny. Elian’s father remained in Cuba with his new family. His mother risked her life in hopes of escaping to a better place, seeking freedoms they no longer enjoyed in Cuba. Sadly she drowned before reaching Florida. When the boy was rescued by fishermen, his great-uncle, living in Miami, took responsibility for the child.
Since 1959 many Cubans have risked the treacherous crossing of the Gulf of Mexico. Why then would I become obsessed with this one particular incident out of thousands of trips over the years? Answer: The minute little Elian became a pawn between the United States and Cuban governments I became incensed with why so many people put themselves and their families in harm’s way to escape their beloved country because of Fidel Castro’s government.
As my research unfolded I gained more and more insight into Cuba, the people, and even Fidel Castro. I discovered a rich culture with warm and friendly people, who have endured the clutch of tyranny since Christopher Columbus discovered the Caribbean Island. I, with great surprise, encountered a zealous, charismatic, college student who became impassioned to free his people from the many years of dictatorships only to become the very thing he hated the most. In my humble opinion, the Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro, is perhaps one of the most colorful, fascinating and influential leaders in recent history. He truly is and was beloved by many in his country, but remains despised by those who escaped his tyranny. I needed to try to understand why Fidel abandoned his impassioned quest to free Cuba, only to hold her, once again, hostage to just another dictatorship.
Even after all my research, this man remains a paradox. Being a fiction writer I played the game “What if” – “What if” Fidel followed through with his original hopes for Cuba rather than the ultimate path he took. “What if” there was an illegitimate son who had become one of the many Cuban refugees and years later returned to Cuba ousting his famous father instead of how actual events played out. My “What ifs” unfolded into the story of BOOK I - SONS OF CUBA – Prelude to Revolution and Book II – SONS OF CUBA – Homecoming.
I know that history cannot be changed, but perhaps there are a handful of Cubans somewhere in the world who will enjoy my fictional twist of circumstances. Whether you live in a democracy or under the iron fist of an oligarchy, everyone has the right to dream “What if”.
Book I chronicles the path my fictional character, Felipe Cardena, takes in his quest to free Cuba. Book II continues to follow Felipe into victory but focuses on the struggles, disappointments, and despair of one family who must survive under Cuba’s new leadership – the leadership of the very man they all had placed their hopes in for a brighter future for Cuba.
I truly hope you will take the opportunity to read the two-book series SONS OF CUBA. Take the journey with the young rebel who had dreams to free Cuba from tyranny, only to become the very thing he hated the most as a young man. Book II of SONS of CUBA continues to follow the rebel into victory but focuses on the struggles, disappointments, and despair of one family who must survive under Cuba’s new leadership – the leadership of the very man they had placed their hopes for a brighter future for their beloved Cuba.
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