Cuba on the Edge: Short Storied from the Island ed. by Mary G. Berg, Pamela Carmell, Ann Fountain (review)

Book Reviews identity. Chapter 7 synthesizes the book with “Meanings of Multiculturalism .” The author explores mestizaje and mexicanidad providing her own conclusions: the Mexican populace includes a diverse range of immigrants in a pluralistic society in which “there are many ways of being Mexican” (19). It is in this universe of being Mexican beyond the mestizo construction and all its ambiguities and diversity that made it possible for immigrants from the Middle East to became both Mexican and still create their own Lebanese identity. An appendix at the end of the book offers several statistical tables regarding the arrival of Middle Eastern immigrants in Mexico. So Far From Allah, So Close to Mexico masterly reveals Mexican multiculturalism by examining how Middle Eastern immigrants and their descendents have acculturated and become Mexican citizens adding to the diversity of mestizaje while creating their own Lebanese identity. The author calls scholars to pay more attention to who these Middle Eastern immigrants and other ethnic groups are in the history of Mexico, because they too have contributed to the question of being Mexican. The story of Middle Eastern immigrants arriving in Mexico at the end of the nineteenth century “illuminates a neglected aspect of Mexican history” (159). This ethnical and cultural diversity of the Mexican people brings a need to reflect on who are the Mexican immigrants coming to the United States. Alfaro-Velcamp asks: “Are immigrants from Mexico “Mexican”, or are they, for example, Lebanese Mexican, Chinese Mexican, or Zapotec Mexican?” (163) The author offers several other topics for scholars to further explore Mexicanidad, Mexican immigration to the United States, and the rich and yet neglected Middle Eastern immigration to Mexico. Debora Cordeiro Rosa Department of Modern Languages and Literatures University of Central Florida CUBA ON THE EDGE: SHORT STORIED FROM THE ISLAND. By Mary G. Berg, Pamela Carmell, Ann Fountain (ed.). Nottingham: CCC P 2007, p. 238, $22. Only 90 miles away from the Miami coast, Cuba has been an island that has captured the imagination of many due to its vibrant culture and intellectual production. Cuba on the Edge is a praiseworthy contribution to scholars that have an interest in Cuban literature and social issues because it allows a glimpse into life in present-day Cuba and works by most current writers. The anthology with multiple authors depicts how Cubans grapple with the harshness of everyday reality since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The anthology contains short stories with several themes that underscore political and social problems on the island, such as the inefficient bureaucracy, the scarcity of products, rigid gender roles and politics, and 83 The Latin Americanist, June 2008 criminality on the island. The stories are rich in description and information that help scholars from various disciplines examine Cuban reality. In addition, the narratives showcase contemporary literature in Cuba and its close relationship with Latin American literature. The twenty-one authors offer varying views and styles that reflect the times. Some stories are haunting and melancholic in their representation of the economic stress and its effects on the human spirit. One such example is “Lost Places,” which transports the reader to the lively streets of Old Havana and expresses a longing for the past. Another is “The Happy Death of Alborada Almanza.” This is a tender tale centered on the encounter of an elderly woman and the Archangel Rafael during her death. As she faces the truth that her life has been full of deprivation and examines her skeletal frame, she childishly asks the Archangel: “are there pastries in heaven?” (96). This narrative portrays the struggle for survival but also the cultural beliefs and traditions when she dances a danzón, a Cuban dance, with the Archangel before going to the heavens. The solemnity in the text is not lost with the protagonist’s last request but rather it has strengthened the underlying plot and theme. There are humorous stories that make the reader almost forget that ingenuity has evolved in an attempt to overcome the lack of resources. “Before the Birthday Party” is an amusing story that focuses on how a mother plans to defeat the hurdles created by Cuban bureaucracy and scarcity of food and daily...