Finding Manana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus

As someone who came to the United States on a shrimp boat during the Mariel exodus as a fifteen-year-old, I did not know all the events that led to my opportunity of reuniting with my father after twelve-years of separation. This book unveiled the layers of these historic events in a masterful way. It offers readers a tremendous insight that only a gifted journalist who has also lived through the Mariel exodus can do. You do not have to be Cuban to read this book. If you like history and exceptional writing that keeps readers engaged from the start, I highly recommend this intelligent account that details, among others, the story of Sanyustiz, the unemployed and disillusioned man who orchestrated the break-in into the Peruvian Embassy in Havana, thus changing my life and the lives of thousands.

I enjoyed this book so much! It is full of real situations, real people, very well written. Just loved it! A must read for any native cuban or anyone who likes the cuban culture. Unlike the BS that you are shown when you visit Cuba, this tells you what it is really like to live in Socialism/Comunism and what people go through to leave the island. I am Cuban, and this is a MUST read book if you want to read the truth.

book in good condition and arrived timely

Excellent memoir involving the Mariel boatlift. I learned a lot I didn’t know before about that time period and historical event. Highly recommended reading.

I enjoyed this book. We read it for our last book club meeting. It gave me insight into the politics of Cuba in the 1980's, that is even more relevant today with all the talk about immigration and our current changing relationship, than it was in 2005 when it was written. It also made real the suffering and risks people are willing to endure to get to America. Anyone planning a trip to Cuba should read this book.

Brings back memories of living in Cuba until my family can't to the USA in '66. Confirms all that I saw, felt, stories told by my parents, stories that many people don't believe.

Ms. Ojito researched this book well, and her own personal experience is told in beautiful prose. It is a moving account of the reality of the Cuban experience, poignant, yet written without maudlin sentimentality. I highly recommend this book.

This book is a perfect example of how the Cuban boat lifts were. It describes the struggle and hardships it was in Cuba during revolutionary time. It also describes what the author had to do to get to the US and the sacrifices she had to make during that time. If you are interested on finding out what was the mariel boat lifts were like in a first person view, then I recommend this book to you.