Playlist
Reviews
Rave Reviews for The Red Umbrella!
“Christina Diaz Gonzalez's moving and inspiring debut novel is a mosaic of subtle shifts in the life of one teenage girl, set against a backdrop of political extremes in 1961 Cuba…By focusing on one family's experience, Gonzalez allows readers to view the sacrifices made by an entire population, and understand the courage it takes to leave everything you know, believing you can know something better.”
---ShelfAwareness
“Through (the main character) Lucía’s captivating voice, readers travel in time to the year 1961…Gonzalez enters the literary scene with this exceptional historical novel that portrays the beginning of the Cuban exodus.”
-—-Kirkus Reviews
“I have never read a novel like Christina Gonzalez’s debut, THE RED UMBRELLA. This is a necessary story about an aspect of Cuban American history that has not received enough attention in YA literature—and best of all, it’s extremely well written and engaging !"
---Steph Su of Steph Su Reads
"In this compelling, atmospheric first novel that begins in postrevolutionary Cuba, Gonzalez sketches the immigration experience of thousands of children sent to the United States through likable 14-year-old narrator Lucía… Debut author Gonzalez excels at highlighting the cultural difficulties of their transition, as Lucía and Frankie eventually end up living with a foster family in rural--and quite foreign--Nebraska. Contemporary newspaper headlines such as the 1961 Nevada State Journal’s “Castro Adopts Brainwashing” lead each chapter and offer wider commentary. The memorable heroine and supporting cast offer a moving portrait of resilience and reinvention."
-–-Publishers Weekly
"This well-written novel has a thoroughly believable protagonist and well-chosen period details… as an introduction to the history and politics of the Cuban-exile community, it could generate some excellent classroom discussions."
---School Library Journal
