SuitabookCubanita
Gaby Triana
- Reading
- Read alongside the young person rather than treating either independence or heritage as the ‘right’ answer. Pause around Isa’s arguments and hopes, and revisit the ending to discuss what remains settled or uncertain.
- Themes
- Independence and family connection: Isa wants distance from her mother and counts down to leaving for college, after years of debate. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Cultural identity and belonging: Isa tries to detach herself from her Cuban roots while wondering whether she is destined to become a ‘cubanita’. The book clearly explores identity and belonging, but the limited information cannot establish whether it endorses, criticises or balances Isa's competing visions.
- Worth knowing
- The main point to notice is the unresolved tension between Isa's desire for a ‘normal’ American life and her connection to Cuban heritage. The portrayal of either choice is not clear from the available detail.