What happens when the country you love for ces you out\, leaving you just 48 hours to abandon everything you&rsquo\;v e ever known? Join us for a virtual conversation with award-winning author \, essayist\, and cultural commentator Ana Hebra Flaster as we discuss her memoir \;Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town.
\n
Ana Hebra Flaster was six years o
ld when her working-class family was kicked out of their Havana barrio for
opposing communism. Once devoted revolutionaries themselves but disillusi
oned by the Castro government&rsquo\;s repressive tactics\, they fled to t
he U.S. The permanent losses they suffered&mdash\;of home\, country\, and
loved ones\, all within 48 hours&mdash\;haunted her multigenerational fami
ly 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 resu
rrect their lost world and fortify themselves for a daunting task: buildin
g a new life in a foreign land.
Weaving pivotal events in Cu
ba&ndash\;U.S. history with her viejos&rsquo\;&mdash\;elders&rsquo\;&mdash
\;stories of surviving political upheaval\, impossible choices\, and &ldqu
o\;refugeedom\,&rdquo\; Property of the Revolution celebrates the
indomitable spirit and wisdom of the women warriors who led the family ou
t of Cuba\, shaped its rebirth as Cuban Americans\, and helped Ana grow up
hopeful\, future-facing&mdash\;American. But what happens when deeply bur
ied childhood memories resurface\, demanding an adult&rsquo\;s reckoning?<
/p>\n
Here&rsquo\;s how the fiercest love\, the most stubborn will
\, and the power of family put nine new Americans back on their feet.
About the Author: \;
\nAna Hebra Flaster \;is a journali st and the author of \;Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Ba rrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town. \;A former child-refugee from Cuba\, Ana&rsquo\;s work has appeared in national print and online media i ncluding: The New York Times\, \;The Wall Street Journal< /em>\, \;The Washington Post\, and \;The Boston Globe . Her commentaries and storytelling have aired on NPR&rsquo\;s \; All Things Considered \;and PBS&rsquo\;s \;Stories fr om the Stage. Property of the Revolution has won first place in several international writing contests including: 2026 IBPA Book Award s (Memoir)\, 2025 Discovery Book Awards (Nonfiction overall)\, 2025 Intern ational Book Awards (Creative Nonfiction)\, and the 2025 IAP Book Awards ( Memoir of the Year). Ana speaks regularly with student\, library\, and civ ic groups about her family&rsquo\;s journey and the refugee and immigrant experience.
\nPresented with Library Speakers Consortium.
\nSp onsored by the Friends of the Library.
\nExplore our library of virt ual events with bestselling authors and thought leaders \;here.
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