| Dying to Get Here chronicles Paco & Esther Robaina's daily struggle in Castro's Cuba during the early 1990's.
They are reduced to living on government rations and on a few American dollars earned by his 21 year old daughter Maslinda a few nights a week. Paco Robaina plots with his future son-in-law, Raul, to escape from the communist island on a homemade raft. After weeks of covert trash picking, wrapping leaky inner tubes with coarse burlap, and fashoning home made paddles from their own bed slats; the family attempts to flee from Fidel under the light of a new moon; and instead is caught in a hail of gunfire which wounds Maslinda Robaina, as her youngest brother is shot dead in her arms. Despite being wounded, Maslinda becomes the driving force of the family's flite to freedom as they attempt a perilous ninety mile crossing of the shark infested Florida Straits. The remaining Robainas are spotted by a Wings of Freedom search plane after spending their second night on the straits fighting for their lives in a howling squall that nearly takes the Roabina's 12 year-old son Miguel, but instead Maslinda Robaina loses her fiance, Raul. It is only after the U.S. Coast Guard fends off a Cuban gunboat; and Maslinda kills a giant bullshark stalking the raft, are the Robaina's rescued and hoisted to freedom, and flown to Key West, Florida. | ||
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Plot & Themes Tone of book? - thoughtful Political/social activism Yes Plotlet: Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - 20's-30's Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - society How sensitive is this character? Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 10 () Water? Yes Water: - warship - drowning - lost at sea - feeding sharks Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - Boob talk! - Vagia talk! - rape/molest Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript |
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