In 1956, 12-year-old Carlos and his family live on a sugarcane farm in Ceiba Mocha, Cuba, where life for Carlos is mostly carefree. But political and personal changes are coming. When his papi wins the lottery, the family moves to the city, where Carlos must adjust to a new school with students who call him “country kid” and assume he’s wealthy because his dad has his own business. Carlos also misses his abuelo, and he’s alarmed by the civil unrest in the city. Fidel Castro, recently returned to Cuba after exile, has taken control of the government. Soon Papi’s business is shut down, and suspicion abounds as neighbors begin to spy on one another in search of anyone not in support of Castro’s Revolution. Carlos knows his homeland is in turmoil, but frustratingly, his parents keep him mostly in the dark regarding political events. And then Papi disappears. In this fictional graphic novel based on the author’s father’s childhood experiences, a timeline of historical events is interspersed throughout, drawn in black-and-white and kept short and digestible. The ink-and-watercolor artwork accompanying the primary narrative is detailed and set in an earth-toned palette with pops of oranges and pinks. Life before and during the Cuban Revolution is realistically depicted from a child’s limited perspective, and the ending promises hope and a chance of a new life for Carlos and his family despite a difficult goodbye.

Here is the dramatic coming-of-age graphic novel memoir of 12-year-old Carlos (who would grow up to become the author’s father), his life during the Cuban Revolution, and his family’s harrowing escape to America.

A Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) Outstanding Comics Award Honor for Best Children's Nonfiction

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: NPR, Publishers Weekly, Horn Book, School Library Journal

Carlos, who lives in a small town in the Cuban countryside, loves to play baseball with his best friend, Alvaro, and to shoot home-made slingshots with his abuelo.

One day, a miracle happens: Carlos' father, his papi, wins the lottery! He uses the money to launch his own furniture business and to move the family to a big house in the city.

Carlos hates having to move -- hates leaving Abuelo and Alvaro behind -- and hates being called country kid at his new school. But the pains of moving and middle school turn out to be the least of his problems.

When rebel leader Fidel Castro overthrows the existing Cuban president, the entire country is thrust into revolution. Then, suddenly, Papi disappears. Carlos' mother tells him that Papi has gone to America, and that they will soon join him. But Carlos really doesn't want to leave Cuba, the only home he's ever known. Besides, how will they get to America when Castro's soldiers are policing their every move? Will Carlos ever see his father again?

This powerful book about a boy coming of age amid massive political upheaval tells a timeless story of one family's quest for freedom and for a new place to call home.