Learning to Die in Miami

Confessions of a Refugee Boy

By: Carlos Eire

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Carlos Eire's story of a boyhood uprooted by the Cuban Revolution quickly lures us in, as 11-year-old Carlos and his older brother, Tony, touch down in the sun-dappled Miami of 1962 - a place of daunting abundance where his old Cuban self must die to make way for a new, American self waiting to be born.

In this enchanting new work, narrated in Eire's inimitable and lyrical voice, young Carlos adjusts to life in his new country. He lives for a time in a Dickensian foster home, struggles to learn English, attends American schools, and confronts the age-old immigrant's plight: surrounded by the bounty of this rich land yet unable to partake. Carlos must learn to balance the divide between his past and present lives and find his way in this strange new world of gas stations, vending machines, and sprinkler systems.

Every bit as poignant, bittersweet, and humorous as his first memoir, Learning to Die in Miami is a moving personal saga, an elegy for a lost childhood and a vanished country, and a celebration of the spirit of renewal that America represents.

©2010 Carlos Eire (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Eire...describes the classic American immigrant experience...with a mix of insightful observation, humor, and heartfelt emotion." ( Publishers Weekly)

A fitting sequel

The narrator is better at pronouncing Spanish words and names than the narrator of "Waiting for Snow...." Anyway, this companion book fills out the story of Carlos in the USA, "dying" each time he has to be displaced again. It is very poignant whether or not you have connections to the Cuban exile community.

The story of our life’s. The story of Cuban Americans

A must read for all Cuban American immigrants, victims of the Cuban Diaspora. Excellent story of family separation, suffering, struggles and life changes that shaped our lives.

A Fine Tale

Very finely written book. As I prepare to make my first foray to Cuba, Eire's two books have been a great preparation. Recommended to me by a Cuban friend, this book chronicles a spiritual and psychological triumph.

A MUST READ BY ALL PEDRO PAN KIDS

Would you consider the audio edition of Learning to Die in Miami to be better than the print version?

I have not read the print version. Cannot opine.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Carlos. He told his story which was almost my story and the story of most kids who were sent by our parents to the US at the beginning of the Revolution.

Which scene was your favorite?

When they went to the Country Club in Miami. As a child I also went to that club and it brought back many many memories.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. It made me both laugh and cry. It reminded us of the great sacrifice our parents made for us and it also made me thankful that they did.

Any additional comments?

I can't wait till Carlos writes another book. He is a great story teller.

Enjoyable autobiography

This second volume of Eire's account of his experiences as one of the Operation Peter Pan children takes him from arrival in Miami in 1962 up to the recent past, the death of his mother in Chicago, the decline of his brother Tony and his own reconciliation with who he is - not Charles, not Chuck, but Carlos. The quick cuts in timeline between past and present and in-between can be somewhat confusing since there is no printed page to refer back and forth, but it comes together well as an experiential whole. More than a history of a child and a man, it is the story of the survival of a soul repeatedly transformed through death to self and past, a survival that is often in doubt over the nearly 50 years covered by the book.

Narrator Robert Fass has an excellent facility with switching between languages, accents and voices and really delivers the non-fiction story with all the vocal color of a good novel.