Ana Hebra Flaster was six years old when h er working-class family was kicked out of their Havana barrio for opposing communism. Once devoted revolutionaries themselves but disillusioned by t he Castro government&rsquo\;s repressive tactics\, they fled to the US. Th e permanent losses they suffered&mdash\;of home\, country\, and loved ones \, all within forty-eight hours&mdash\;haunted her multigenerational famil y as they reclaimed their lives and freedom in 1967 New Hampshire. There\, they fed each other stories of their scrappy barrio&mdash\;some of which Hebra Flaster has shared on All Things Considered&mdash\;to resurrect thei r lost world and fortify themselves for a daunting task: building a new li fe in a foreign land.
\nWeaving pivotal events in Cuba&ndash\;US his tory with her viejos&rsquo\;&mdash\;elders&rsquo\;&mdash\;stories of survi ving political upheaval\, impossible choices\, and &ldquo\;refugeedom\,&rd quo\; Property of the Revolution celebrates the indomitable spirit and wis dom of the women warriors who led the family out of Cuba\, shaped its rebi rth as Cuban Americans\, and helped Ana grow up hopeful\, future-facing&md ash\;American. But what happens when deeply buried childhood memories resu rface\, demanding an adult&rsquo\;s reckoning?
\nHere&rsquo\;s how t he fiercest love\, the most stubborn will\, and the power of family put ni ne new Americans back on their feet.
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\nAbout the Author: \;
\nAna Hebra Flaster \;is journalist and the author of \;Proper ty of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town\, p ublished in April 2025 (She Writes Press\, Simon and Schuster distribution ). \;A former child-refugee from Cuba\, Ana&rsquo\;s work has appeared in national print and online media\, including: \;The New York Times\ , \;The Wall Street Journal\, \;The Washington Post\, and \;Th e Boston Globe. Her commentaries and storytelling have aired on NPR&rsquo\ ;s \;All Things Considered \;and PBS&rsquo\;s \;Stories from t he Stage. Since its publication in April 2025\, Property of the Revolution has won first place in several international writing contests\, including : 2026 IBPA Book Awards (Memoir)\; 2025 Discovery Book Awards (Nonfiction overall)\; 2025 International Book Awards (Creative Nonfiction)\, and the 2025 IAP Book Awards (Memoir of the Year). The memoir was selected as the Nashua\, New Hampshire\, 2026 All-City Read and the Rivier University 2025 First-Year Read. Ana speaks regularly with student\, library\, and civic groups about her family&rsquo\;s journey and the refugee and immigrant exp erience. She is currently focused on covering the struggle for democracy a nd human rights in Cuba in her weekly Substack\, \;CubaCurious\, \ ;a project she launched in July 2024.
\nThe views expressed by p resenters are their own and their appearance in a program does not imply a n endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Reference to any speci fic product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Lambton County Library.
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