My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Bluest Sky is a moving account of the plight of those leaving Cuba in the 1980s.

Seen through the eyes of an 11-year-old boy, this was an intimate story of what life was like in Cuba at that time. I was really struck by the generational gap of experience. For Hector, he grew up twenty years after Fidel Castro took power. While the oppressive, political atmosphere is unpleasant for him, this is also all he knows. Unlike his parents who lived during Cuba’s transition and who know what things were like before. But for Hector, all he wants is to stay in Cuba and make the prestigious, Cuban National Math Olympiad Team.

Things aren’t that simple. His family is at odds with each other – his grandmother is pro-party, his mother is against it, and his father is a political exile in the United States. Hector’s dreams are soon in the crosshairs. And to make things worse, he’s being forced to choose sides, both at home and in public.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez does a beautiful job pulling us into Hector’s experience and taking us on a tough journey where life becomes more and more difficult for those who want to find what is right for them and their families. Because as people start leaving, those staying behind become angrier and more aggressive. And in the darkest moments, family and friends can become your enemy. But an enemy can also become your friend.

Expertly told, The Bluest Sky is a fantastic companion to Adrianna Cuevas’ remarkable book, Cuba in My Pocket.


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