What happens when the country y ou love forces you out\, leaving you just 48 hours to abandon everything y ou&rsquo\;ve ever known? Join us online for an extraordinary online conver sation with author and essayist Ana Hebra Flaster as we discuss her sweepi ng yet deeply intimate memoir \;Property of the Revolution: From a Cub an Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town.
\nAna Hebra Flaster was six years old when her working-class family was kicked out of their Havana bar rio for opposing communism. Once devoted revolutionaries themselves but di sillusioned by the Castro government&rsquo\;s repressive tactics\, they fl ed to the US. The permanent losses they suffered&mdash\;of home\, country\ , and loved ones\, all within forty-eight hours&mdash\;haunted her multige nerational family as they reclaimed their lives and freedom in 1967 New Ha mpshire. There\, they fed each other stories of their scrappy barrio&mdash \;some of which Hebra Flaster has shared on \;All Things Considered&md ash\;to resurrect their lost world and fortify themselves for a daunting t ask: building a new life in a foreign land.
\nWeaving pivotal events in Cuba&ndash\;US history with her \;viejos&rsquo\;&mdash\;elders&rsq uo\;&mdash\;stories of surviving political upheaval\, impossible choices\, and &ldquo\;refugeedom\,&rdquo\; \;Property of the Revolution \;c elebrates the indomitable spirit and wisdom of the women warriors who led the family out of Cuba\, shaped its rebirth as Cuban Americans\, and helpe d Ana grow up hopeful\, future-facing&mdash\;American. But what happens wh en deeply buried childhood memories resurface\, demanding an adult&rsquo\; s reckoning?
\nHere&rsquo\;s how the fiercest love\, the most stubbo rn will\, and the power of family put nine new Americans back on their fee t.
\nRegister today to gain a deeper\, more personal perspective on the refugee experience and the enduring quest to define home.
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\nAbout the Author: \;
\nAna Hebra Flaster \;is jo urnalist and the author of \;Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town\, published in April 2025 (She Writes Press\, Simon and Schuster distribution). \;A former child-refugee fro m Cuba\, Ana&rsquo\;s work has appeared in national print and online media \, including: \;The New York Times\, \;The Wall Street Journal\,&n bsp\;The Washington Post\, and \;The Boston Globe. \;Her commentar ies and storytelling have aired on NPR&rsquo\;s \;All Things Considere d \;and PBS&rsquo\;s \;Stories from the Stage. Since its publicati on in April 2025\, \;Property of the Revolution \;has won first pl ace in several international writing contests\, including: 2026 IBPA Book Awards (Memoir)\; 2025 Discovery Book Awards (Nonfiction overall)\; 2025 I nternational Book Awards (Creative Nonfiction)\, and the 2025 IAP Book Awa rds (Memoir of the Year). The memoir was selected as the Nashua\, New Hamp shire\, 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 experience. She is c urrently focused on covering the struggle for democracy and human rights i n Cuba in her weekly Substack\, \;CubaCurious\, \;a project she la unched in July 2024.
\nFor more information about upcoming author ta lks\, and to view past recordings\, please visit \;Library Speakers Consortium Author Talks.< /a>
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