Letters from Cuba
In 1937, life is becoming more and more difficult for Polish Jews. Eleven, nearly twelve, year-old Esther boards a steamship to join her father in a small Cuban village, determined to work hard to help raise the money to buy tickets for the rest of the family: her grandmother, mother, younger sister and three younger brothers. Cuba holds many surprises. The warm weather gives Esther physical freedom from long sleeves and wool tights; friendly people, both Cubans and fellow immigrants, welcome her; and new foods offer delightful new tastes. Esther and Papa work as itinerate peddlers. As news of the spread of Nazi Germany and the worsening conditions for Jews in Europe makes its way to Cuba, Esther worries that they will not earn the money to save their family in time. After making a dress for herself and two of her new friends, Esther discovers her designs and skill as a seamstress may be the answer she and Papa have needed.
This middle-grade epistolary novel offers a unique perspective to the typical Holocaust story. Esther is friendly, loyal, and optimistic even when things look dire. Behar provides a diverse cast of friends for Esther and her Papa including their landlords, a white doctor and his wife; a formerly enslaved Black Santería-following woman and her granddaughter; and a Chinese shopkeeper and his nephew. But not all is well in Cuba. Behar also presents characters who are anti-immigrant and pro-Nazi. Esther’s letters to her younger sister are heartfelt, but at times the dialogue feels forced, and in scenes where Esther and her friends confront those against them, it feels didactic. All said, however, this is a perspective that should be added to the canon of Holocaust fiction.
