I had no idea. I feel like I write (or think) that a lot. As a panelist for the CYBILS award for the past several years, I've had the opportunity to read a lot (and I mean A LOT) of nonfiction. And learn about all manner of topics ranging from animal defense behavior to the history of the walking cane (it's truly fascinating) and from the practice of weaving plastic bags into crafts to the story of Kandinsky's childhood and synesthesia.
And yet.
My favorite genre is still historical fiction, where you get the blending of a story and a developing character along with the history. As such, I found a book to love in "My Brigadista Year." I got to learn and I got to love. While his other campaigns and tactics may have been brutal, did you know that Fidel Castro made a claim to the UN that he would eradicate illiteracy in Cuba? And then he did. By sending teachers, some as young as ten, into the mountains and countryside deployed like soldiers to teach. And at the same time, learn more from those they were teaching about hard work and another way of life than they were accustomed. "My Brigadista Year" is the story of 14 year old Lora and her journey with the Conrado Benitez Brigadistas away from her family in Havana to the Escambray Mountains. Katherine Paterson is a masterful weaver of words and she brings Lora's story to life. Like stories before it, Paterson's work inspires me to keep learning about Cuba's rich history.
Title: My Brigadista Year
Author: Katherine Paterson
Published 2017 by Candlewick
ISBN: 9780763695088
This copy was sent by the publisher for review purposes.
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