Letters from Alain

Author Enrique Perez Diaz
Evocative and thought-provoking short story ideal for adults and youth alike. The tale is told in the voice of Arturo, an 11 year old boy who lives in contemporary Cuba and whose best friend Alain has left for the United States in a boat with his parents. The feelings provoked by Alain's departure explore the universality of loss, while Arturo pulls us through this compelling human mystery.
Publisher: Aurora Metro | ISBN no: 978 0 9551566 4 9 | Year: 2008

£8.49 inc p&p

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Originally published as ‘Las Cartas de Alain’ in 2001 in Madrid, Spain, Letters from Alain is the moving tale of a young Cuban boy, Arturo, coming to terms with the realities of life in Cuba, through a series of odd letters from his friend, Alain, who has recently emigrated to America, and his feelings of being shut out and abandoned by his family and the rest of his community.

The Cuban author, Enrique Perez Diaz, has expertly captured the feeling of loss and longing felt when a loved one goes away and illustrator, Francisco Solé, embodies Arturo’s sense of isolationism from the people around him who fail to answer the questions which the young boy needs answering.

The book focuses on the pain of bereavement, and while aimed at children, it will tug at the heartstrings of teenagers and adults alike, as, with Alain’s letters and Arturo’s storytelling filled with pain and sadness, it is an emotional read. At some points especially, you feel very sorry for Arturo, and wish you could reach into the book and give him hug. Bits such as when he tries to go after Alain in a stolen fishing boat; he doesn’t succeed and in doing so, comes to the realisation that his friend has died while trying to find a better life.

Diaz has won many awards for his novels and short stories for children and in this story he shows his ability to combine serious issues, such as illegal immigration, with loveable characters and a real knowledge of Cuba.

Although Arturo’s story is fictional, the themes in the book are issues in the real world also. There are many cases of Cuban families taking young children with them on their attempt to migrate to the US, only to perish in the cruel North Atlantic Sea. Letters to Alain gives us insight to these issues, not widely highlighted in the media.

Constance Weir (aged 15)