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Cuba 1956. To kusiner er hjertevenner til Castros revolusjon brått skiller dem. Nora flykter med familien til USA, mens Alicia opplever at det lykkelige livet i Havanna blir snudd til nød og fattigdom under Castros regime. De to vennene glemmer hverandre aldri, og etter mange år klarer ikke Nora å nøye seg med å lese brevene fra Alicia. Hun må reise tilbake for å hjelpe sin syke venninne.
Det forjettede land
Alicia dør av aids, og Nora må ta seg av Lucinda, Alicias blinde og vakre tenåringsdatter. Cuba er ikke noe sted for dem, men hvordan skal de komme seg tilbake til USA? En dramatisk og vakker roman om håp, håpløshet og evig vennskap.
Det forjettede land
Alicia dør av aids, og Nora må ta seg av Lucinda, Alicias blinde og vakre tenåringsdatter. Cuba er ikke noe sted for dem, men hvordan skal de komme seg tilbake til USA? En dramatisk og vakker roman om håp, håpløshet og evig vennskap.
414 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
47 people are currently reading
1,567 people want to read
About the author
Cecilia Samartin
28books186followersI was born in Cuba at the height of the revolution. My family left when I was nine months old so I have no memories of my own, although I "borrowed" countless memories from my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
I grew up in a quiet Los Angeles suburb and secretly dreamed of becoming a writer, but after high school I decided to study psychology instead and became a marriage and family therapist. I'm glad I did because my experience as a therapist is what finally inspired me to face my fears, and embrace my dream of becoming a writer.
Most of my clients over the years have been immigrants like me so many of my stories reflect the themes of lost homeland, and the search for meaning/identity in a new world.
I think of myself more as a story teller than a writer. Perhaps because as a story teller it is easier to envision myself engaging in a two way conversation with my readers, much as I do with my clients. Nothing is more gratifying for me than to receive comments and messages from my readers. I learn so much, and it inspires me as nothing else to keep writing.
I grew up in a quiet Los Angeles suburb and secretly dreamed of becoming a writer, but after high school I decided to study psychology instead and became a marriage and family therapist. I'm glad I did because my experience as a therapist is what finally inspired me to face my fears, and embrace my dream of becoming a writer.
Most of my clients over the years have been immigrants like me so many of my stories reflect the themes of lost homeland, and the search for meaning/identity in a new world.
I think of myself more as a story teller than a writer. Perhaps because as a story teller it is easier to envision myself engaging in a two way conversation with my readers, much as I do with my clients. Nothing is more gratifying for me than to receive comments and messages from my readers. I learn so much, and it inspires me as nothing else to keep writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
July 7, 2014
This book starts off with elegant prose, beautiful description, and subtle drama. Then, about 100 pages from the end, it devolves into melodrama, as horrible events are thrown ungracefully and willy-nilly at the page. The end managed to partially suck me in again, but that intervening time had put a real dent in my enjoyment of the book.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in ŷ policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in ŷ policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
March 3, 2016
20/20
Ce livre a été un véritable coup de coeur. Il permet d’apprendre beaucoup sur Cuba, sur toutes les évolutions du pays, les espoirs de ce peuple mais aussi les nombreuses désillusions. C’est autant un livre sur la famille que sur l’immigration et le déracinement, et en cela je le crois intemporel. Sa force, c’est son humanité.
Ma chronique :
Ce livre a été un véritable coup de coeur. Il permet d’apprendre beaucoup sur Cuba, sur toutes les évolutions du pays, les espoirs de ce peuple mais aussi les nombreuses désillusions. C’est autant un livre sur la famille que sur l’immigration et le déracinement, et en cela je le crois intemporel. Sa force, c’est son humanité.
Ma chronique :
March 12, 2019
A very gripping and special read. It gives you a insight in the revolution of Cuba in the 1960s and the suffering it brought to the people. Samartin tells a very touching story of the separation of two cousins. It is beautifully written and I found it heartbreaking and very powerful at the same time. A must read!
November 27, 2015
Utrolig smuk og gribende historie. Meget bevægende!
April 23, 2022
veldig fin, flott beskrevet og gjorde meg enda mer nysgjerrig og aware over my cuban heritage, og det som skjedde på cuba fra 1950-70
3.8 ⭐️
3.8 ⭐️
August 2, 2011
This is one of those books that I don't even feel worthy enough to write a review for.. It's just too beautiful and too well written.
The setting is Cuba, pre Castro.. two cousins and best friends are growing up together. Nora looks at Alicia and thinks she has it all, the looks, the boys... but things change after the revolution and Castro. Nora goes to the states and she has the "charmed" life. Alicia chooses to stay and her life is not what anyone thought it would be.
For full review, please click the link:
The setting is Cuba, pre Castro.. two cousins and best friends are growing up together. Nora looks at Alicia and thinks she has it all, the looks, the boys... but things change after the revolution and Castro. Nora goes to the states and she has the "charmed" life. Alicia chooses to stay and her life is not what anyone thought it would be.
For full review, please click the link:
December 15, 2018
Okuyan herkes çok beğenmiş ama beni çok da mutlu etmedi...
Çünkü tek bakış açısından yazılmış bir kitap. Amerikancı bir görüş açısından anlatıyordu olayları. Ülkede yapılan devrimin sancılarını insanların çekyikkeri zorlukları, ülkelerinden kopup gitmek zorunda kalmalarını okurken etkilenmemek elde değildi.
İki kadının yaşamının devrinden öncesi ve sonrası ibretle okudum..
Çünkü tek bakış açısından yazılmış bir kitap. Amerikancı bir görüş açısından anlatıyordu olayları. Ülkede yapılan devrimin sancılarını insanların çekyikkeri zorlukları, ülkelerinden kopup gitmek zorunda kalmalarını okurken etkilenmemek elde değildi.
İki kadının yaşamının devrinden öncesi ve sonrası ibretle okudum..
August 23, 2020
Pitkästä aikaa kirja, jonka lukemista ei meinaa malttaa lopettaa mennäkseen nukkumaan.
June 5, 2013
This was a great, great book about a family who fled from revolutionary Cuba, and the effect it had upon each of them, particularly the main character. This story is a growing up tale, following a young woman, as she navigates the cultural differences in America, while at the same time striving to maintain a connection with her native country, especially her cousin/best friend, who remains in Cuba. Their letters to each other over the years are heart wringing and beautifully written. There are also some beautifully crafted descriptions of the raw beauty of Cuba.
I thought Samartin also did a great job of describing the African influence on this country, and the racial/spiritual/political/cultural tensions that existed.
As I was reading this book in the subway, a passenger saw the cover and title and asked me if it was a love story. I initially told him no, because it's not, in the romance novel sense. But after finishing the book, I realized that it actually is a love story; it's a love story about a girl's love for her native country, and all the memories she cherished, and the tragic breakup she was forced to experience with this first love. It's also a beautiful account of her dedication and love for her cousin despite their separation.
I thought Samartin also did a great job of describing the African influence on this country, and the racial/spiritual/political/cultural tensions that existed.
As I was reading this book in the subway, a passenger saw the cover and title and asked me if it was a love story. I initially told him no, because it's not, in the romance novel sense. But after finishing the book, I realized that it actually is a love story; it's a love story about a girl's love for her native country, and all the memories she cherished, and the tragic breakup she was forced to experience with this first love. It's also a beautiful account of her dedication and love for her cousin despite their separation.
February 24, 2016
Slow-paced at first, but very quick near the end. The resolution in the last chapter and the epilogue is a bit too hasty--the idea that Nora might have depression makes sense after what she dealt with in Cuba and on the boat, and treatment...may have helped her? It just feels too easy to get a lost letter and then have everything be basically okay.
Anyway, my other main issue with this was the constant terrible editing. There was either too much or too little punctuation in nearly every paragraph, which made some sentences difficult to parse.
And then there was such little clarity on some things--what disease did Alicia have, for one. For another, the passage of time...as we got further along, there was nothing to say whether we were in the 70s, 80s, or when.
The Cuban setting fascinated me. I sometimes wished that the majority of the book was told from Alicia's perspective. (Basically I would have preferred the Cuban answer to A Thousand Splendid Suns rather than the Cuban answer to The Kite Runner, which is what I began to think of this as).
Anyway, my other main issue with this was the constant terrible editing. There was either too much or too little punctuation in nearly every paragraph, which made some sentences difficult to parse.
And then there was such little clarity on some things--what disease did Alicia have, for one. For another, the passage of time...as we got further along, there was nothing to say whether we were in the 70s, 80s, or when.
The Cuban setting fascinated me. I sometimes wished that the majority of the book was told from Alicia's perspective. (Basically I would have preferred the Cuban answer to A Thousand Splendid Suns rather than the Cuban answer to The Kite Runner, which is what I began to think of this as).
June 21, 2016
4.5-5 stars
I usually judge a book on how it makes me feel. Well, not exactly how - more IF it makes me feel. Well, this one did. I remember really loving Señor Peregrino, but this one... this one brought out something else.
I don't know what to say. A lot of things were predictable but it was such a book where that did not matter at all. And the part where they left Cuba on a little boat to cross the US "illegally", I swear I have the hardest time crying when I read but my eyes produced a tear! I might have continued on crying if not my partner came in to the room and distracted me.
I said when I read Señor Peregrino that I cannot wait to read her other books, and I say the same thing now, althought it wont take me three years this time.
I usually judge a book on how it makes me feel. Well, not exactly how - more IF it makes me feel. Well, this one did. I remember really loving Señor Peregrino, but this one... this one brought out something else.
I don't know what to say. A lot of things were predictable but it was such a book where that did not matter at all. And the part where they left Cuba on a little boat to cross the US "illegally", I swear I have the hardest time crying when I read but my eyes produced a tear! I might have continued on crying if not my partner came in to the room and distracted me.
I said when I read Señor Peregrino that I cannot wait to read her other books, and I say the same thing now, althought it wont take me three years this time.
May 10, 2017
Note, if based on the editing it would have a "1" ----
Had high hopes for this work, as there are few on the topic of Cuba and which are written by native authors. This begins as a coming of age story of two girls approaching adolescence in Havana; the voice during early chapters is almost too too precious. The middle of the narrative encompasses flight from Cuba after Castro has taken over and a more measured or adult outlook but overtones of romance creep into the story.
Just when it has almost gone off the rails (but now has a potential HEA with Nora marrying Jeremy), Nora returns to Cuba. At that point as noted by other reviewers, the reader is led into a dense tropical swamp of melodrama filled with snakes dropping out of the trees, gators, and surreal elements for the final chapter. Whew.
Throughout, one tries to ignore the unrelenting misspellings and misused homonym/homophones ( flare v. flair ) and homeless apostrophes. Is there no one awake at Atria Books?
Had high hopes for this work, as there are few on the topic of Cuba and which are written by native authors. This begins as a coming of age story of two girls approaching adolescence in Havana; the voice during early chapters is almost too too precious. The middle of the narrative encompasses flight from Cuba after Castro has taken over and a more measured or adult outlook but overtones of romance creep into the story.
Just when it has almost gone off the rails (but now has a potential HEA with Nora marrying Jeremy), Nora returns to Cuba. At that point as noted by other reviewers, the reader is led into a dense tropical swamp of melodrama filled with snakes dropping out of the trees, gators, and surreal elements for the final chapter. Whew.
Throughout, one tries to ignore the unrelenting misspellings and misused homonym/homophones ( flare v. flair ) and homeless apostrophes. Is there no one awake at Atria Books?
September 14, 2013
Ja, hvad kan jeg sige? Måske den kun skal have 2,5 stjerner.
Historien er nu god nok, og plottet er stærkt. Vi er i Cuba i 1950erne, og Castro overtager magten på øen, hvilket langsomt ødelægger et velhavende samfund med smukke, viktorianske huse med verandaer mod det turkisblå hav og små piger med fletninger og hvide, nystrøgede kjoler.
De to kusiner, Nora og Alicia, er hjerteveninder. Nora emigrerer (på grund af det nye styre) med sin familie til USA, og Alicia bliver på Cuba, da hun er forelsket i en mand, der er politisk aktiv og vil befri landet. Det bliver fatalt for hende.
Nora klarer sig godt i USA, mens det går virkelig ned ad bakke for Alicia, som kæmper for sin egen og sin datters overlevelse. Manden er i fængsel.
Nora tager på besøg i USA, og nu skal jeg ikke afslører mere her. Ikke mere end at vi ender i en lille flygtningebåd på det store hav med hajer svømmende omkring. Og vi taler om en lille træbåd, som hajerne begynder at bumpe op imod. Så der mangler ikke spænding og drama.
Men ...
Jeg synes desværre, at personerne tegnes én-dimensionelle og dermed utroværdige som rigtige mennesker. Nora er virkelig den frelsende engel, der er ved at dø af at redde andre. Hun gør aldrig noget forkert, og den slags glansbilleder siger mig ærligt talt ikke så meget.
Bogen har skam flere elementer af et flot, poetisk sprog, men de menneskelige portrætter er simpelthen for sukkersøde til min smag.
Historien er nu god nok, og plottet er stærkt. Vi er i Cuba i 1950erne, og Castro overtager magten på øen, hvilket langsomt ødelægger et velhavende samfund med smukke, viktorianske huse med verandaer mod det turkisblå hav og små piger med fletninger og hvide, nystrøgede kjoler.
De to kusiner, Nora og Alicia, er hjerteveninder. Nora emigrerer (på grund af det nye styre) med sin familie til USA, og Alicia bliver på Cuba, da hun er forelsket i en mand, der er politisk aktiv og vil befri landet. Det bliver fatalt for hende.
Nora klarer sig godt i USA, mens det går virkelig ned ad bakke for Alicia, som kæmper for sin egen og sin datters overlevelse. Manden er i fængsel.
Nora tager på besøg i USA, og nu skal jeg ikke afslører mere her. Ikke mere end at vi ender i en lille flygtningebåd på det store hav med hajer svømmende omkring. Og vi taler om en lille træbåd, som hajerne begynder at bumpe op imod. Så der mangler ikke spænding og drama.
Men ...
Jeg synes desværre, at personerne tegnes én-dimensionelle og dermed utroværdige som rigtige mennesker. Nora er virkelig den frelsende engel, der er ved at dø af at redde andre. Hun gør aldrig noget forkert, og den slags glansbilleder siger mig ærligt talt ikke så meget.
Bogen har skam flere elementer af et flot, poetisk sprog, men de menneskelige portrætter er simpelthen for sukkersøde til min smag.
February 19, 2010
A coming-of-age/refugee story of two Cuban cousins who are also best friends, Alicia and Nora. The story starts when the girls are very young, their families are prosperous and happy, life in Cuba is good. As the girls get older, Castro comes into power and life as they know it is irrevocably changed.
Alicia's family stays in Cuba, optimistic that Castro will fall victim to a revolution similar to the one that put him in power and their life in Cuba will once again be beautiful. Nora's family chooses to flee the country and start over in the United States. The story follows the girls' lives and struggles through letters they write to each other over the years.
The imagery of the book is rich and vivid; I could feel the warmth of the sun, the softness of the sand, taste the coconut ice cream and even smell the breezes. But the story left me wanting more out of it. I felt like I connected more with the island than the characters and that the author implied so much more depth to the girls than she ever capitalized on.
A good read but not one I'd pick up again.
Alicia's family stays in Cuba, optimistic that Castro will fall victim to a revolution similar to the one that put him in power and their life in Cuba will once again be beautiful. Nora's family chooses to flee the country and start over in the United States. The story follows the girls' lives and struggles through letters they write to each other over the years.
The imagery of the book is rich and vivid; I could feel the warmth of the sun, the softness of the sand, taste the coconut ice cream and even smell the breezes. But the story left me wanting more out of it. I felt like I connected more with the island than the characters and that the author implied so much more depth to the girls than she ever capitalized on.
A good read but not one I'd pick up again.
August 15, 2012
I've heard from people that when I started to read this book, I should read it as slowly as I could, only because it would capture my heart in a special way. I do agree with everyone who told me this. An inspiring story about how the revolution took place in Cuba and the inhabitants were thrown in jails and had to work for Castro's people. People applied for visa to United States, had to leave family behind, honor and reputation matter everything for them and how they hated this "man". A girl named Nora leaves her cousin and her family behind in Cuba when she gets her visa to the U.S and travels back after many years to save her.
July 27, 2017
Truthfully I checked this book out because of the beautiful cover and I have always been fascinated by Cuba. Samartin does a wonderful description of Cuba. Two cousins Alicia and Nora are teens during Castros take over. Nora and her family flee to America and settle in California; Alicia falls in love with a revolutionary and stays in Cuba. From each cousin's point of view written in letters, tells the path fate forces the cousin's life to take!
May 23, 2021
Tän kirjan ehdottomasti parasta antia olivat Kuuban ja Havannan kuvaukset, ja erityisesti kirjan ensimmäinen osa imaisi mukaansa. Olisipa sitä ollut koko kirjan täydeltä! Samoin jäin kaipaamaan monimuotoisuutta, sillä vain pieni osa Kuuban väestöstä edustaa kirjassa kuvattua espanjalaistaustaista katolilaista väkeä. Monimuotoisuutta tuotiin esiin hieman muutaman sivuhahmon kautta, mutta olisin kaivannut sitä lisää.
February 7, 2017
След "Мофонго" не очаквах такъв лежерен тон... когато накрая нещата станаха драматични, вече ми бяха в повече "екзотичността на Куба", щастливата история в Щатите, Джереми .... някак ритъма не ми пасна.
June 4, 2023
Wow! I don't know how to describe the feelings this book left in my heart, so this will suffice: Wow, just wow!
//
Wow! Eg veit ikkje korleis eg skal forklare følelsen eg sitter igjen med etter å ha lese denne boka, så det for holde med dette: Wow!
//
Wow! Eg veit ikkje korleis eg skal forklare følelsen eg sitter igjen med etter å ha lese denne boka, så det for holde med dette: Wow!
May 31, 2024
IHANA
October 28, 2024
Man blir helt fast
March 26, 2023
jeg har verken et drømmehjerte eller et vanlig hjerte etter denne boka.
heldigvis har jeg en pistol og et hode.
MÅTEN SANGEN MARJORIE PASSER PERFEKT TIL DENNE BOKA💔💔💔
"i should’ve asked you questions/ i should’ve asked you how to be/ ask you to write it down for me/ should’ve kept every grocery store receipt/ cause every scrap of you would be taken from me/ watched as you signed your name marjorie/ all your closets of backlogged dreams/ and how you left them all to me"
drep meg.
heldigvis har jeg en pistol og et hode.
MÅTEN SANGEN MARJORIE PASSER PERFEKT TIL DENNE BOKA💔💔💔
"i should’ve asked you questions/ i should’ve asked you how to be/ ask you to write it down for me/ should’ve kept every grocery store receipt/ cause every scrap of you would be taken from me/ watched as you signed your name marjorie/ all your closets of backlogged dreams/ and how you left them all to me"
drep meg.
August 14, 2015
Cecilia Samartin est née en 1961 à la Havane, pendant la révolution cubaine. Ses parents se réfugient alors qu’elle est encore bébé aux États-Unis. Elle grandit à Los Angeles, où elle étudie la psychologie avant de devenir thérapeute, œuvrant principalement auprès de la communauté latino. Elle est l’auteur de cinq romans traduits dans 18 pays, dont Le don d’Anna, La belle imparfaite (Archipoche, 2012 et 2013) et La promesse de Lola (L’Archipel, 2014). Auteur phénomène en Scandinavie, Cecilia Samartin est n°1 des ventes en Norvège, où ses romans se sont déjà vendus à plus d'un million d'exemplaires. En France, Le don d'Anna a conquis un vaste lectorat grâce à la magie du bouche à oreille. Nora ou le paradis perdu, son premier roman à être paru en 2004.
Optimistes et émouvants, les romans de Cecilia Samartin parlent au cœur et à l'âme. Nora ou le paradis perdu ne fait pas exception ! Envoûtant, captivant, empreint d'espoir et d'une force mystique comme le sont les romans d'Isabel Allende, Nora ou le paradis perdu est un roman riche et coloré, une histoire d'amitié, de perte, d'amour (au-delà des différences) mais surtout d'espoir.
Pendant les soixante dernières années le peuple cubain a vécu dans l'horreur d'un régime totalitariste les privant de ses droits les plus fondamentaux. Beaucoup regardaient, impuissants, leurs pays se désagréger. Cependant, certains d'entre eux continuaient à conserver l'espoir. Au péril de leur vie, ils continuaient à croire en la liberté, exprimant à haute voix leur volonté de vivre libre à n'importe quel prix. C'est dans cet état d'esprit que Cecilia Samartin a écrit Nora ou le paradis perdu. Ce roman, le tout premier qu'elle a écrit, retrace les heures les plus sombres de l'histoire de Cuba, depuis le gouvernement corrompu de Batista jusqu'à la révolution qui a permis à Fidel Castro d'établir le gouvernement totalitariste que l'on connaît et qui malheureusement, est toujours en vigueur de nos jours.
Dans son roman, Cecilia Samartin illustre très bien les diverses privations que subit le peuple cubain. Si la première partie de son récit décrit Cuba comme une île paradisiaque sur laquelle il fait (malgré tout) bon vivre, la suite laisse place à un changement de décor radical, le gouvernement castriste n'hésitant pas, entre autres, à affamer la population en rationnant la nourriture et les produits de première nécessité. Exsangues, désespérés, privés de tout confort mais aussi de tout espoir de changement, les Cubains en sont réduits à toutes sortes de marchandages pour assurer leur survie : marché noir, prostitution, pots-de-vin, dénonciations... Il ne reste plus rien du paradis tropical que Nora et sa cousine Alicia ont connu enfants ! Et le récit se fera de plus en plus poignant au fil des pages ! L'exil de Nora, contrainte de laisser derrière elle famille, amis, jusqu'à ses souvenirs les plus chers, est un véritable déchirement pour le lecteur !
«La tristesse du départ n'est comparable à nulle autre expérience [...] elle te frappe par grosses vagues qui peuvent t'arracher au sol quand tu crois avoir les pieds fermement ancrés sur la terre. Tout peut aller très bien, et voilà que tout à coup, tu entends les accords d'une chanson, ou tu sens des oignons en train de frire dans l'huile d'olive, et voilà que ton coeur se brise à nouveau en mille morceaux., juste comme ça. Tu vendrais ton âme pour te retrouver chez toi, ou pour éprouver un simple sentiment d'appartenance... quelque part... n'importe où.»
À travers la vie de ces personnages touchants à l'extrême, le lecteur plonge tête la première dans un récit si juste et si sincère que c'en est bouleversant ! On ne peut rester insensible à la détresse de ce peuple cubain privé de tout sauf de leur dignité. Même dans les moments les plus sombres et dans la pire misère, ils demeurent si fiers et si forts qu'on se sentirait presque coupable de vivre dans autant de confort ! C'est révoltant mais c'est également une belle leçon d'humilité, qui réveillera à coup sûr le sens de la générosité et du partage chez de nombreux lecteurs !
«Je ne vois peut-être pas la liberté sous le même angle que toi. Au fil des ans, je me suis trouvé une forme de liberté. Celle de découvrir qu'il ne me faut pas grand-chose pour être heureuse. Celle de vivre en en dépassant le malheur et la peur, et de trouver l'espoir au fond de ses propres larmes.»
Nora ou le paradis perdu est un roman magnifique et bouleversant qui vous fera découvrir autrement l'histoire de Cuba et de son peuple. Entre splendeur et décadence, Cecilia Samartin dresse un portrait à la fois enchanteur et terrifiant de son île natale qu'elle a quittée alors qu'elle n'était qu'un bébé. La dimension documentaire alliée à la plume poétique de l'auteure font de ce roman aux accents autobiographiques certains une pépite à côté de laquelle il ne faut surtout pas passer !
Optimistes et émouvants, les romans de Cecilia Samartin parlent au cœur et à l'âme. Nora ou le paradis perdu ne fait pas exception ! Envoûtant, captivant, empreint d'espoir et d'une force mystique comme le sont les romans d'Isabel Allende, Nora ou le paradis perdu est un roman riche et coloré, une histoire d'amitié, de perte, d'amour (au-delà des différences) mais surtout d'espoir.
Pendant les soixante dernières années le peuple cubain a vécu dans l'horreur d'un régime totalitariste les privant de ses droits les plus fondamentaux. Beaucoup regardaient, impuissants, leurs pays se désagréger. Cependant, certains d'entre eux continuaient à conserver l'espoir. Au péril de leur vie, ils continuaient à croire en la liberté, exprimant à haute voix leur volonté de vivre libre à n'importe quel prix. C'est dans cet état d'esprit que Cecilia Samartin a écrit Nora ou le paradis perdu. Ce roman, le tout premier qu'elle a écrit, retrace les heures les plus sombres de l'histoire de Cuba, depuis le gouvernement corrompu de Batista jusqu'à la révolution qui a permis à Fidel Castro d'établir le gouvernement totalitariste que l'on connaît et qui malheureusement, est toujours en vigueur de nos jours.
Dans son roman, Cecilia Samartin illustre très bien les diverses privations que subit le peuple cubain. Si la première partie de son récit décrit Cuba comme une île paradisiaque sur laquelle il fait (malgré tout) bon vivre, la suite laisse place à un changement de décor radical, le gouvernement castriste n'hésitant pas, entre autres, à affamer la population en rationnant la nourriture et les produits de première nécessité. Exsangues, désespérés, privés de tout confort mais aussi de tout espoir de changement, les Cubains en sont réduits à toutes sortes de marchandages pour assurer leur survie : marché noir, prostitution, pots-de-vin, dénonciations... Il ne reste plus rien du paradis tropical que Nora et sa cousine Alicia ont connu enfants ! Et le récit se fera de plus en plus poignant au fil des pages ! L'exil de Nora, contrainte de laisser derrière elle famille, amis, jusqu'à ses souvenirs les plus chers, est un véritable déchirement pour le lecteur !
«La tristesse du départ n'est comparable à nulle autre expérience [...] elle te frappe par grosses vagues qui peuvent t'arracher au sol quand tu crois avoir les pieds fermement ancrés sur la terre. Tout peut aller très bien, et voilà que tout à coup, tu entends les accords d'une chanson, ou tu sens des oignons en train de frire dans l'huile d'olive, et voilà que ton coeur se brise à nouveau en mille morceaux., juste comme ça. Tu vendrais ton âme pour te retrouver chez toi, ou pour éprouver un simple sentiment d'appartenance... quelque part... n'importe où.»
À travers la vie de ces personnages touchants à l'extrême, le lecteur plonge tête la première dans un récit si juste et si sincère que c'en est bouleversant ! On ne peut rester insensible à la détresse de ce peuple cubain privé de tout sauf de leur dignité. Même dans les moments les plus sombres et dans la pire misère, ils demeurent si fiers et si forts qu'on se sentirait presque coupable de vivre dans autant de confort ! C'est révoltant mais c'est également une belle leçon d'humilité, qui réveillera à coup sûr le sens de la générosité et du partage chez de nombreux lecteurs !
«Je ne vois peut-être pas la liberté sous le même angle que toi. Au fil des ans, je me suis trouvé une forme de liberté. Celle de découvrir qu'il ne me faut pas grand-chose pour être heureuse. Celle de vivre en en dépassant le malheur et la peur, et de trouver l'espoir au fond de ses propres larmes.»
Nora ou le paradis perdu est un roman magnifique et bouleversant qui vous fera découvrir autrement l'histoire de Cuba et de son peuple. Entre splendeur et décadence, Cecilia Samartin dresse un portrait à la fois enchanteur et terrifiant de son île natale qu'elle a quittée alors qu'elle n'était qu'un bébé. La dimension documentaire alliée à la plume poétique de l'auteure font de ce roman aux accents autobiographiques certains une pépite à côté de laquelle il ne faut surtout pas passer !
April 9, 2013
4.25 Stars
've been dreading writing a review for this book frankly because a book so eloquent should have an eloquent review and anything I write wouldn't do it justice. As close as the US is to Cuba, very few of us know much about the island's political upheavals and transitions--let alone how those transitions affected its people. Samartin gives us an excellent window into Cuba and a fictional snapshot on a family's experiences before, during, and after the revolution (based on survivors interviews and letters). Descriptions are not overly done, but are beautifully and succinctly written. I would give it 5 stars except the ending was a little over the top yet the rest of the book is truly worth the time.
I found this treasure on the bargain shelf at my B&N local store and I can't believe it isn't on any best seller lists as it should be! Hopefully word of mouth will give this book the following it deserves.
've been dreading writing a review for this book frankly because a book so eloquent should have an eloquent review and anything I write wouldn't do it justice. As close as the US is to Cuba, very few of us know much about the island's political upheavals and transitions--let alone how those transitions affected its people. Samartin gives us an excellent window into Cuba and a fictional snapshot on a family's experiences before, during, and after the revolution (based on survivors interviews and letters). Descriptions are not overly done, but are beautifully and succinctly written. I would give it 5 stars except the ending was a little over the top yet the rest of the book is truly worth the time.
I found this treasure on the bargain shelf at my B&N local store and I can't believe it isn't on any best seller lists as it should be! Hopefully word of mouth will give this book the following it deserves.
January 1, 2016
This was a great, gripping story. Quite slow to get going which is why I'm not completely enamored by it. However, the beginning has some of the best descriptions in the entire novel, very detailed and beautiful - makes it easy to imagine the Cuba it depicts. Knowing the history it was interesting to see the way it was foreshadowed, and how the characters reacted to the events. The middle part is fast, both in the number of years it goes through and in the way it can be read. The third part is the best, the strongest. I must say though, the final events are a bit too much with the story takes a turn that reminded me of 'Life of Pi' and felt a bit out of place. That being said, as a whole this is very good novel, well written, and takes the reader on a great journey.
December 8, 2018
I an so glad a friend gave me this book to read. I have a soft spot for historical fiction and new very little about Cuba, aside from maybe a movie on Castro which most definetly glorified him. This book is stark and beautiful and heart wrenching. The struggles for the people of Cuba is well captured in this tale of love and struggle and the ghost hearts of refugees. Based on the current climate in America I would think anyone who refuses to accept asylum seekers should be looking at this! So thankful it came into my life, this book was perfect.
October 27, 2009
I'm part Cuban (from Miami), so any good book I can find with stories/memoirs of the revolution and Cuban history has me extremely intrigued. I loved this book. Very touching and emotional. It's been awhile since I've read it (tempting me to read it again very soon), but I remember being in tears. I won't spoil and say which part had me a wreck...read for yourself.
July 1, 2012
This novel is defintely one of my favorites! Writen with such passion, longing, and heart, Cecila Samartin spins a tale of two cousins growing up during Castro's Cuba and how their lives change when one of the girls leaves and makes a life in the U.S. I could not put it down and finished it in less than 2 days!
January 24, 2015
Well told novel of two cousins living in Cuba just as Castro takes over, it is told mainly through Nora who eventually leaves Alicia behind as her family escapes the country and flees to America. It tells how they cope with their new life and ultimately if they will ever be able to return and what finally makes one of them do just that. Loved it, thanks Diane!
December 11, 2016
Une histoire délicieuse, lumineuse malgré la période sombre qui la caractérise, animée par une femme à la force de caractère digne des plus grandes femmes qui nous fait découvrir un pays sublime, magnifique. On se croirait à Cuba, on sent Cuba, on respire Cuba du début à la fin et c’est merveilleux.
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