Happy Book Birthday: The Red Umbrella by Christina Diaz Gonzales

I know that this is a late post. It's officially May 12 here. But I woke up sooo late today.

The Red Umbrella has been in my wishlist for a long time. I wanted to read it because I'm interested in historical fiction. Before I started reading YA, I read historical fiction first. Back then I didn't know that there's such a thing as YA. Crazy, right? Another thing was that The Red Umbrella incorporates Spanish. I love the Spanish language!

Book Summary from the Official Website of Christina Gonzales:

The Red Umbrella is the 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. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, 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 moving story of country, culture, family, and the true meaning of home.

And here's the trailer:




The Red Umbrella is out now! Go grab a copy!