Ninety Miles and a Lifetime Away

“A beautifully imagined, carefully researched, and masterfully edited oral history. Readers will share the struggles of those who made the journey from Castro’s Cuba and changed the United States.”—Steve Kroft, longtime CBS 60 Minutes correspondent

“Powell expertly weaves the history of early post-revolution exiles with the voices of those who experienced these events. This enriches our understanding of the revolutionary process and its aftermath as it humanizes the often misunderstood and at times maligned Cuban exiles.”—María de los Ángeles Torres, author of The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S., and the Promise of a Better Future

“Provides a unique and engrossing perspective on the lived experience of the hundreds of thousands of people who fled Cuba to evade Fidel Castro’s oppressive regime. An excellent demonstration of the power of oral history. These stories add rich detail to the events of that tumultuous period.”—Tom Fiedler, former executive editor, Miami Herald; dean emeritus, Boston University College of Communication

“This book is a powerful historical testament to the first waves of Cuban American immigrants. It is clear proof of their parents’ and grandparents’ struggles and perseverance to survive in the face of adversity in a new homeland while never forgetting their love and passion for the country they left behind.”—José Manuel García, author of Voices from Mariel: Oral Histories of the 1980 Cuban Boatlift

“Through a combination of storytelling and oral history, Powell explores the Cuban exile experience chiefly through the voices of exiles themselves. Their accounts invite us to consider the importance and challenges of memory as a vehicle for understanding the history of the Cuban Revolution.”—Michael J. Bustamante, author of Cuban Memory Wars: Retrospective Politics in Revolution and Exile

“These vivid accounts remind us that history is lived by ordinary people, whose memories are invaluable.”—Latino Magazine

“An intensely personal collection of memories from people who lived through a tragic epoch of Cuban history that became a transformative period for Florida.”—Tallahassee Democrat

“An excellent example of the power of oral history.”—Orlando Sentinel