The Prince of los Cocuyos

A Miami Childhood

By: Richard Blanco

Narrated by: Adi Cabral

A poignant, hilarious, and inspiring memoir from the first Latino and gay Presidential Inaugural Poet, which explores his coming-of-age as the child of Cuban immigrants and his attempts to understand his place in America while grappling with his burgeoning artistic and sexual identities.

Richard Blanco's childhood and adolescence were experienced between two imaginary worlds: his parents' nostalgic world of 1950s Cuba and his imagined America, the country he saw on reruns of The Brady Bunch and Leave it to Beaver—an "exotic" life he yearned for as much as he yearned to see "la patria."

A prismatic and lyrical narrative rich with the colors, sounds, smells, and textures of Miami, Richard Blanco's personal narrative is a resonant account of how he discovered his authentic self and ultimately, a deeper understanding of what it means to be American. His is a singular yet universal story that beautifully illuminates the experience of "becoming"; how we are shaped by experiences, memories, and our complex stories: the humor, love, yearning, and tenderness that define a life.

©2014 Richard Blanco (P)2023 Tantor

Vivid

An utterly fascinating story. All the characters are intriguing and the story is relatable, especially if you are a second-generation American.

Heartwarming

Richard keeps you enthralled and mesmerized with every page. As a Cuban-American, I identified with his stories and his attention to detail was beyond. An excellent read!!

Capture emotions and feelings that make you think of your childhood as a Cuban-American

I love this book , he is so authentic! It’s funny and the same time is so deep and real !

Great work by Blanco

This memoir by Richard Blanco is wonderful and it tells the story of a renowned who grew up trying to reconcile his post-exile identity with being a Miami Cuban in America. Great story, very authentic.