When Julian's parents make the heartbreaking decision to send him and his two brothers away from Cuba to Miami via the Pedro Pan operation, the boys are thrust into a new world where bullies run rampant and it’s not always clear how best to protect themselves.

Listening Length

6 hours and 8 minutes
Author

Enrique Flores-Galbis
Narrator

Enrique Flores-Galbis
Audible release date

August 1, 2013
Language

English
Publisher

Blackstone Audio, Inc.
ASIN

B00E3WVMBM
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	6 hours and 8 minutes
Author	Enrique Flores-Galbis
Narrator	Enrique Flores-Galbis
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	August 01, 2013
Publisher	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B00E3WVMBM
Best Sellers Rank	#184,676 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #53 in Latin American Stories for Children #755 in Historical Fiction for Children #891 in Children's Books on Orphans & Foster Homes

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		10%
3 star		6%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Tara

so I might have enjoyed it more than I ordinarily would have

Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2017

Verified Purchase

Full disclosure: I read this book while in Cuba, so I might have enjoyed it more than I ordinarily would have. Enrique Flores-Galbis is a Cuban-American, so the representation in this novel is accurate and has authority. Huge plus right there.

90 Miles to Havana is the story of twelve-year-old Julian who is living a normal happy life when the Cuban Revolution comes and changes everything, and he and his two brothers are sent to Miami and have to figure out their new lives.

Julian is a sweet kid. I found it endearing that throughout the book, even though there is a revolution and they are separated from their parents, Julian's main struggle is one of being an only child. HIs family is so used to seeing his as the baby who isn't ready for any type of responsibility that they hold onto that view of him long after he grows out of it. It is such a universal character arch and helps to make Julian more accessible. The family dynamics are very realistic. You can feel both their affection for and frustration with one another.

I think that Bebo the families servant is my favorite character. He sees everything and everyone so clearly. He also represents the population of Cubans for whom the Revolution was something positive. He let Julian stretch his limits without doubting him or seeing his as incapable like his family. I think that everyone needs a Bebo in their lives at some point.

One weakness of this book was the rosy view of democracy. There is a subplot involving the children learning to use democracy to solve their problems. But none of them seem to understand the revolution that they just left in Cuba (understandable) which I think is essential if they are to understand the difference between the old Dictator, the new Communist government, and the US government. And since this is a middle-level book perhaps it needed to be made clearer to the reader. If you went into this book with no prior knowledge of the Cuban Revolution or the way that children were sent away right after it I think that it could be confusing.

This is definitely a book about plot. So much is happening that character development has to take a backseat. Which is a bit unfortunate because there are a lot of characters and the lack of development sometimes makes it difficult to differentiate between them. There is nothing special about the writing. There is a lovely analogy of the revolution involving eggs that I found particularly compelling but other than that the phrasing is a bit sparse and external for my taste. However, that sort of writing often works very well for reluctant readers who just want to "get on with the story."

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, and I am going to suggest it to students when school starts up again. If you are interested in a book about Cuba, growing up, or brotherhood then look no further.

One person found this helpful

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PDXbibliophile

Gripping Survival Story

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013

Verified Purchase

90 Miles To Havana is a very realistic and historically accurate picture of the sadness, loneliness, difficulties, optimism and determination of the Cuban children sent away alone by their parents to protect them from Castro's military schools. They ended up in dismal refugee camps in Florida with hundreds of other parent-less refugee children. The author, Enrique Flores-Galbis, based the story of young refugee Julian, on his own experiences as a Cuban refugee. Middle and upper elementary grade readers will: cheer for the camp revolutionaries Julian, Angelita, Gustavo and Marta; worry about impulsive, stubborn Aquilino and Gordo; and learn about persevering from the wonderful role model, Tomas. I was surprised and pleased when a few of my reluctant readers chose 90 Miles to Havana, an historical novel, over the more predictable suggestions of the wonderful Multnomah County Library School Corps young adult librarian. I was even more please when they all praised the book, so I decided I'd better read it, too. I loved it.

3 people found this helpful

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Yolanda C. Ganong

Spunky kids, a tragic event and a thrilling tale of triumph

Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2010

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I was thoroughly engaged by the characters and the story in 90 Miles to Havana. This is a coming of age story of a young boy and a special group of Cuban children who had to re-invent themselves in a hurry when circumstances pushed them across a bridge between two very different worlds. The author manages to entertain as he gives a personal account of a painful historical time that is either not well-known or misunderstood: the exile of over 14,000 unaccompanied minors at the beginning of Castro's dictatorship in Cuba. I particularly liked how Flores-Galbis manages to convey how the main character is quickly transformed from child to man by forces from within and outside, but without allowing his childhood to be completely taken away from him. This author is an excellent portrait artist in real life and his supporting characters are as finely fleshed out as his paintings. I particularly appreciated the clever girls who were also caring, brave and important in their own right. This is a story that can be enjoyed by young readers as well as by adults who might be inspired to remember the events that made us grow up.

6 people found this helpful

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A. McK.

Layered

Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2018

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This was a Battle of the Books selection in NC for middle school this year. The story follows Julian, a boy who is sent away from Cuba after a revolution. The book is has multiple layers that you can dive into with middle school or high school readers. You can enjoy the historical aspect or explore the characterizations and growth or examine character interactions. It's got enough action for it to stay lively but not so much that it becomes an action-adventure novel. Lovely story, would definitely recommend, especially to middle schoolers.

One person found this helpful

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frank

A BOOK FOR ALL AGES

Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2019

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at age 73, i enjoyed the book so much that i just ordered more copies to give to my great nieces. from the start, i felt like i was in the book with the characters, and feeling emotionally attached to some of them. very readable. the best praise i can give the book is to say that toward the end of the book, i was reading fewer pages per day because i didn't want the story to ever end. the book was written in such a style that i felt i was experiencing life as though i were the main character. in case you are wondering, yes i am a little embarrassed to say i so throughly enjoyed a book whose target audience is children.

One person found this helpful

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Jill D. Conner

Couldn't put it down!

Reviewed in the United States on December 3, 2014

Verified Purchase

My son had a list of books from which to choose, as a summer reading project. He chose this one and it was a great decision. He could not put it down! He was a rising sixth grader and a very picky reader. It takes a good mix of drama, humor, reality and "edge of your seat" situations in which to draw him in. This book captivated him. He was able to analyze the story, do a presentation and create a project, with ease. He won't even let me donate it now--wants to keep it and buy more from this author. Highly recommend!

2 people found this helpful

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Scott Z.

Insightful

Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

Gaining a perspective from the author's own experiences. Also an excellent choice for school curriculum.

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