In September of 2013 while still living in Chicago I had the good fortune of hearing the Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club at Chicago’s Symphony Center and was awestruck, along with a full house of Cuban music lovers, by the

Mi querida abuela, my dear grandmother, passed away recently.

          When I shared with her the first printed copy of Mango Rain, I remember how she caressed the cover and held the book close to her heart during our entire three

It is almost two months to the day that I dropped off my expired Cuban passport and renewal application with a recommended travel agency specializing in Cuba trips and issues.

And NO passport yet in my hands!

After the first weeks of

Sooo…. every friend who knows I am a Cuban American has been lovely about congratulating me on the move toward re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.  They then comment on how happy I must be that I