What happens when the country you love for ces you out\, leaving you just two days to abandon everything you&rsquo\;v e ever known? \;
\nAna Hebra Flaster was six years old when her working-class family was kicked out of their Havana barrio for opposing co mmunism. Once devoted revolutionaries themselves but disillusioned by the Castro government&rsquo\;s repressive tactics\, they fled to the US. The p ermanent losses they suffered&mdash\;of home\, country\, and loved ones\, all within forty-eight hours&mdash\;haunted her multigenerational family a s they reclaimed their lives and freedom in 1967 New Hampshire. There\, th ey fed each other stories of their scrappy barrio&mdash\;some of which Heb ra Flaster has shared on All Things Considered&mdash\;to resurrec t their lost world and fortify themselves for a daunting task: building a new life in a foreign land.
\nWeaving pivotal events in Cuba&ndash\; US history with her viejos&rsquo\;&mdash\;elders&rsquo\;&mdash\;s tories of surviving political upheaval\, impossible choices\, and &ldquo\; refugeedom\,&rdquo\; Property of the Revolution celebrates the in domitable spirit and wisdom of the women warriors who led the family out o f Cuba\, shaped its rebirth as Cuban Americans\, and helped Ana grow up ho peful\, future-facing&mdash\;American. But what happens when deeply buried childhood memories resurface\, demanding an adult&rsquo\;s reckoning?
\nHere&rsquo\;s how the fiercest love\, the most stubborn will\, and th e power of family put nine new Americans back on their feet.
\nRegis ter today to gain a deeper\, more personal perspective on the refugee expe rience and the enduring quest to define home.
\nAbout the Au thor: \;
\nAna Hebra Flaster is a journalist and the au thor of Property of the Revolution: From a Cuban Barrio to a New Hampshire Mill Town \, published in April 2025 (She Writes Press\, Simon &\; Schuster distr ibution). Ana&rsquo\;s work has appeared in national print and online medi a\, including The New York Times\, \;The Wall Street Journal\,&nbs p\;The Washington Post\, and \;The Boston Globe. Her com mentaries and storytelling have aired on NPR&rsquo\;s \;All Things Considered \;and PBS&rsquo\;s \;Stories from the Stage. Since its publication\, Property of the Revolution has won f irst 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 Bo ok Awards (Memoir of the Year). The memoir was selected as the Nashua\, Ne w Hampshire\, 2026 All-City Read and the Rivier University 2025 First-Year Read. Ana speaks regularly with student\, library\, and civic groups abou t her family&rsquo\;s journey and the refugee and immigrant experience. Sh e is currently focused on covering the struggle for democracy and human ri ghts in Cuba in her weekly Substack\, \;CubaCurious\, \;a project she launched in July 2024.
\nThis program is sponsored by t he Alexandria Libra ry Foundation.
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