The eternal forest: a memoir of the Cuban diaspora
(Book)

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Published:
New York : St. Martin's Press, 2025.
Format:
Book
Edition:
First edition.
Physical Desc:
270 pages : maps, genealogical table ; 22 cm
Status:
1 copy, 2 people are on the wait list.

Description

"In the tradition of The Yellow House and Half Broke Horses, a memoir of the Cuban diaspora that follows one family's exile from the island, through a lyrical exploration of memory, cultural mythology, and the history of Cuban-American relations. History is undeniably dominated by its men, but the stories Elena Sheppard was brought up on were almost always about Cuba's women--everyday women, whose names would be forgotten and buried along with their bones unless someone took the effort to remember them. Cifuentes, Cuba, in the 1950s was nearly idyllic-at least that's how Elena's grandparents, Rosita and Gustavo Delgado, remember the Eden they left. When Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, Gustavo was placed on a list of political undesirables, and by the end of 1960, the couple and their two daughters had fled to Florida, with nothing more than five dollars, and a suitcase each. The Delgados were certain they would return to Cifuentes within a few months, after Castro's reign had run its course. But they never went back, and a piece of each of their identities became frozen in that moment. In 1987, Elena was the first in Gustavo and Rosita's family to be born in the United States, but through the memories that lived on in her grandmother's mind, Cuba became the foundation of her childhood. Elena takes us inside these stories, and as we travel back and forth across the narrow Florida Straits that separate Miami and Havana, we also weave between past and present, to discover family secrets that are on the brink of being lost to time. In lyrical yet unflinching prose, The Eternal Forest follows one family's exile from their homeland and in so doing, it tells the larger political story of the Cuban Revolution and its diaspora. Through a spellbinding blend of cultural myth, historical texts, and personal narrative, The Eternal Forest seeks to understand the nature of inheritance, how trauma and memory are passed down through generations, and what it means to yearn for an island you can never fully know"-- Provided by publisher.

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Location
Call Number
Status
East Lyme Public New Non Fiction
B SHEPPARD, ELENA (Sheppard) (Eternal)
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More Details

Language:
English
ISBN:
9781250287687, 1250287685

Notes

Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-270).
Description
"In the tradition of The Yellow House and Half Broke Horses, a memoir of the Cuban diaspora that follows one family's exile from the island, through a lyrical exploration of memory, cultural mythology, and the history of Cuban-American relations. History is undeniably dominated by its men, but the stories Elena Sheppard was brought up on were almost always about Cuba's women--everyday women, whose names would be forgotten and buried along with their bones unless someone took the effort to remember them. Cifuentes, Cuba, in the 1950s was nearly idyllic-at least that's how Elena's grandparents, Rosita and Gustavo Delgado, remember the Eden they left. When Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, Gustavo was placed on a list of political undesirables, and by the end of 1960, the couple and their two daughters had fled to Florida, with nothing more than five dollars, and a suitcase each. The Delgados were certain they would return to Cifuentes within a few months, after Castro's reign had run its course. But they never went back, and a piece of each of their identities became frozen in that moment. In 1987, Elena was the first in Gustavo and Rosita's family to be born in the United States, but through the memories that lived on in her grandmother's mind, Cuba became the foundation of her childhood. Elena takes us inside these stories, and as we travel back and forth across the narrow Florida Straits that separate Miami and Havana, we also weave between past and present, to discover family secrets that are on the brink of being lost to time. In lyrical yet unflinching prose, The Eternal Forest follows one family's exile from their homeland and in so doing, it tells the larger political story of the Cuban Revolution and its diaspora. Through a spellbinding blend of cultural myth, historical texts, and personal narrative, The Eternal Forest seeks to understand the nature of inheritance, how trauma and memory are passed down through generations, and what it means to yearn for an island you can never fully know"-- Provided by publisher.

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Citations

APA Citation (style guide)

Sheppard, E. M. (2025). The eternal forest: a memoir of the Cuban diaspora. First edition. St. Martin's Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Sheppard, Elena Maria, 1987-. 2025. The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora. St. Martin's Press.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Sheppard, Elena Maria, 1987-, The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora. St. Martin's Press, 2025.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Sheppard, Elena Maria. The Eternal Forest: A Memoir of the Cuban Diaspora. First edition. St. Martin's Press, 2025.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.

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Grouped Work ID:
d26b2281-f403-56ba-b761-87fe87137234
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeOct 16, 2025 08:57:26 AM
Last File Modification TimeOct 16, 2025 08:57:32 AM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeOct 16, 2025 08:57:31 AM

MARC Record

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504 |a Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-270).
5050 |a The learning -- Origin stories -- La familia -- Sugar country -- A century ago, two sisters teach me about love -- What the revolution wrought -- Origin stories; or, how to change history by renaming a place -- Home in a country that isn't -- Death in the blood -- Santificado sea tu nombre -- Origin stories; or, the special period -- The ones who stayed -- Forgetting -- Going back -- What we said -- The party.
520 |a "In the tradition of The Yellow House and Half Broke Horses, a memoir of the Cuban diaspora that follows one family's exile from the island, through a lyrical exploration of memory, cultural mythology, and the history of Cuban-American relations. History is undeniably dominated by its men, but the stories Elena Sheppard was brought up on were almost always about Cuba's women--everyday women, whose names would be forgotten and buried along with their bones unless someone took the effort to remember them. Cifuentes, Cuba, in the 1950s was nearly idyllic-at least that's how Elena's grandparents, Rosita and Gustavo Delgado, remember the Eden they left. When Fidel Castro seized power in 1959, Gustavo was placed on a list of political undesirables, and by the end of 1960, the couple and their two daughters had fled to Florida, with nothing more than five dollars, and a suitcase each. The Delgados were certain they would return to Cifuentes within a few months, after Castro's reign had run its course. But they never went back, and a piece of each of their identities became frozen in that moment. In 1987, Elena was the first in Gustavo and Rosita's family to be born in the United States, but through the memories that lived on in her grandmother's mind, Cuba became the foundation of her childhood. Elena takes us inside these stories, and as we travel back and forth across the narrow Florida Straits that separate Miami and Havana, we also weave between past and present, to discover family secrets that are on the brink of being lost to time. In lyrical yet unflinching prose, The Eternal Forest follows one family's exile from their homeland and in so doing, it tells the larger political story of the Cuban Revolution and its diaspora. Through a spellbinding blend of cultural myth, historical texts, and personal narrative, The Eternal Forest seeks to understand the nature of inheritance, how trauma and memory are passed down through generations, and what it means to yearn for an island you can never fully know"-- Provided by publisher.
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6500 |a Exiles |z Florida |z Miami |v Biography.
6500 |a Exiles |z Cuba |v Biography.
6510 |a Cuba |x Politics and government |y 1959-1990.
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