Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Red Umbrella  By  cover art

The Red Umbrella

By: Christina Diaz Gonzalez
Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $15.59

Buy for $15.59

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The Red Umbrella is a moving tale of a 14-year-old girl's journey from Cuba to America as part of Operation Pedro Pan - an organized exodus of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children, whose parents sent them away to escape Fidel Castro's revolution.

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. And soon, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States - on their own. Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? The Red Umbrella is a touching story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.

©2011 Christina Diaz Gonzalez (P)2016 Ideal Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Debut author Gonzalez excels at highlighting the cultural difficulties...memorable heroine and supporting cast offer a moving portrait of resilience and reinvention." ( Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about The Red Umbrella

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    4
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    80
  • 4 Stars
    21
  • 3 Stars
    5
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    79
  • 4 Stars
    22
  • 3 Stars
    2
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

NOOOOOO

bad book it has lots of true things like the i think it was called revolutoin

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Touching and true

I’m so glad that my daughter had to read this book in school. I’ve heard a version of this story from my Cuban friends, and this paints the picture so eloquently for children and preteens. This book was beautifully written and should be required reading in Miami-Dade county.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing!

This book is a must if you live in South Florida. It shows the struggle that the Cuban families endured at the beginning of the communist regimen. It also highlights operation "pedro pan" and how young children were sent to the USA by their Cuban families to escape the regimen. Mind blowing book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent!!

I don’t normally write reviews, but I enjoyed this story immensely. And the narrator’s performance was superb (and I’m picky about that). Highly recommend. I hope this author and narrator will do more!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

great bicultural book for teens and adults

I really enjoyed the narrated version of this book. it was well detailed and well-balanced. great read and great voicing.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

What an amazing read!

My teenage son was assigned this book for summer reading and enjoyed it so much that he insisted I read it. This book is simply amazing. You will not be sorry that you read it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

excellent book

great book that helps youth understand what happened during that time frame in terms they can understand.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!