In this graphic memoir, Miyares relates his father's life as a child during the Cuban revolution. Carlos is happy living near his family in rural Cuba, but their fortunes change when his father wins the lottery and moves the family to town to live out his dream of starting his own furniture-building business. Castro comes to power shortly after and the family's fortunes change again. My students who love refugee stories will love this one, but it is a 5-star read regardless.

Thanks to NetGalley and Anne Schwartz Books/Random House Children's for the digital ARC.

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban is a beautiful graphic novel that depicts the author's own family story of leaving Cuba during the chaos and uncertainty of the revolution. Readers will learn so much about what happened during this time period, and the struggles his father and grandparents faced. They had to decide whether to leave their home, friends, and family behind and make a new life in the United States, or to stay and face all of the violence and uncertainty of Cuba. The incredible illustrations and suspenseful story will keep readers turning pages as they learn about 12 year old Carlos and his journey to America. A must read for all upper MG readers and beyond!

Oh my god. I flew through this book. The illustrations are beautiful, and you can feel the emotion seeping through the page. Some of it is eerily similar to what we're witnessing now. Just excellent.

Carlos spends his days riding horses and playing on his grandparent's farm. His life takes a drastic change when his father wins the lottery and moves the family into the local town. Carlo's father opens a furniture business and builds a big house with his winnings. In the background of these events Castro is building his gruella army and beginning the takeover of Cuba.
When I saw this book, I felt like I needed to read it. I'm also the child of a child refugee from Cuba. While my father's and abuela's stories are somewhat different from this. There is still a striking thread of similarity.
This book made me feel all the feels and I think that especially during this time in the US it's an important story to have out there.

A great book to read when history is not your thing. Carlo's story talks about his like in Cuban when Fidel Castro was just beginning to try to take over the government. Learn about the real struggles of one boy and his family as they decide what to do.

Thank you for this ARC!
I'm thankful and grateful for reading this memoir style graphic novel. This book I will definitely recommend to any Cuban family that is trying to share a little history of 1958 and 1959 of the beautiful island. A family working hard. Earning a wonderful life. Then the acts of Communism. Heartfelt.

This is a beautiful and touching book made for middle graders and up. Kids will find it easy to relate to Carlos, his experiences, and his questions since the text is fairly straightforward. There is minor Spanish through but, aside from one instance, it is all translated. The art is stunning with warm waterolor and ink lines.
Content - Carlos' father is shown with a gun on a few occasions but never fires it. Also, Carlos imagines seeing the bleeding bodies of the people who've been shot attempting to cross the ocean. And, there is a scene of Carlos punching another child.

This is a beautiful family saga, well written and even better illustrated. The artwork is stunning, adding emotion and nostalgic to each page. The art style reminded me of old comics. The information flows clearly and it was easy to read. A page turner!

I enjoyed it throughout and feel I was part of their family. It a story about Cuban political history and what freedom truly means. Immigrants stories need to celebrated and amplified more than ever. Thanks to the author for sharing his heritage and family history. Highly recommended!

I have several friends whose families fled Cuba and found refuge in America. This is the first age-appropriate graphic novel I've found for younger kids to tell what happened, and it's important that it's told from the child's perspective. I learned a lot about what it was like when Castro took over. This had so much emotion, as the family dealt with the violent takeover of the country and of the businesses they owned. The family's strong support of each other helped them get through it.

Incredible graphic novel about the immigration story of the author’s father. It centers the family’s story while briefly inserting necessary historical information. Many young readers will relate to the main character’s plight of not being fully informed by the adults around him because he’s ’just a kid.’ Highly recommend.

This novel offers a powerful historical perspective through the eyes of a young boy, making it both an engaging read and a valuable teaching companion. It’s especially useful for helping students understand the complexities of the Cuban Revolution.

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban is a poignant graphic novel that narrates the coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Carlos during the Cuban Revolution. Based on the real-life experiences of the author's father, the book delves into themes of family, identity, and the quest for freedom amidst political upheaval. As a child and grandchild of Cuban immigrants who experienced this story themselves, I found the narrative and illustrations especially salient.
Carlos's journey begins in the Cuban countryside, where he enjoys simple pleasures like playing baseball with his best friend and spending time with his grandfather. A sudden change in fortune leads his family to the city, introducing new challenges and a sense of displacement. As Fidel Castro's rise to power brings turmoil, Carlos's father disappears, prompting a harrowing journey for the family as they seek to reunite and find safety in America.
Recommended for readers aged 9–12, this graphic novel serves as an accessible entry point into discussions about history, resilience, and the immigrant experience. It's a valuable addition to both personal and educational collections, offering a heartfelt perspective on a significant period in history.
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Anne Schwartz Books, and Daniel Miyares for this free, advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The government is gone, the rebels have won. Cuba will never be the same”

How to Say Goodbye in Cuban is, at its heart, a love letter to the author’s father- the real life Carlos. Inspired by a true story, this graphic novel, ages 8+, tells the story of a young boy growing up in Cuba living a normal life, until he couldn’t anymore. It does a great job of explaining Fidel Castro’s rise to power in an appropriate way for children/adolescent. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the graphic novel How to Say Goodby in Cuban.

In this graphic novel set in 1956, we meet Carlos, who has a great life in Ceiba Mocha, Cuba. He lives in a cozy house in the countryside with his Mama, Papi, younger brother Lazaro, and sisters Maggie and Isaura. His aunt lives nearby, as do his grandparents. His best friend, Alvaro, has a father who works on the grandparents’ farm. There are so many things to do outside, his grandmother’s good food, and a lot of time spent with his grandfather fishing and hanging out. Carlos’ father seems stressed and unhappy with his life, so when he wins the lottery, he moves the family to Matanzas, a town where he sets up a furniture manufacturing business. Carlos doesn’t care about the bigger house or better opportunities; he wants his old life back. This is unlikely to happen, especially since Batista’s government is overthrown by Castro, and the resulting conflict seeps into every facet of Carlos’ life. It takes a while, but eventually the government appropriates his father’s business, leading his father to become involved in underground activities, and to eventually become a “Gusano”, the term used by Castro’s supporters to describe people who leave for the US. Carlos’ mother does her best to keep the family together, but eventually the revolution comes a little too close, and the family moves back with the grandparents. The father returns, and Carlos’ family makes the dangerous journey to the United States. The grandparents, who have their farm taken over by the government, move to an apartment in Matanzas and remain in Cuba. The journey is difficult, but by 1962 the family has settled into a new life in Miami, Florida. This story is based on the life of the author’s father.
Strengths: I absolutely loved that the biggest portion of this book was spent describing Carlos’ life before things become difficult. His close relationship with his grandfather, his idyllic childhood in the country, and his family’s increasing involvement in current events will help modern readers understand that war torn places in the world have not always been that way. While the basic circumstances of Carlos’ family are repeated again and again, the details of the family’s experiences give this a personal touch, especially since this is based on Miyares’ own father. The artwork is lovely, and very different for a graphic novel. The style and the colors felt very midcentury to me, which was very nice. This is one of the best graphic novels I have read recently, so I will definitely purchase it.
Weaknesses: While there is a good deal of information about Castor’s process of taking over the government spread throughout the book, it wouldn’t have hurt to have a two page overview of events, or perhaps a timeline, at the end of the book. Young readers will have little idea about this era in history, and may need some support in understanding the events.
What I really think: I will definitely purchase this graphic novel. Castro’s revolution, and especially Operation Pedro Pan, is probably my third favorite horrible historic event, after the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Partition of India. A few years ago, a student’s grandmother came to speak to our school about her own journey from Cuba to the US with Operation Pedro Pan, so it’s good to see this story being told in books like Castellanos' wordless graphic novel, Isla to Island, Cartaya's A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation, Behar's Letters From Cuba Cuevas' Cuba in My Pocket, Gonzales' The Bluest Sky and The Red Umbrella, Diaz's Farewell Cuba, Manzano's Coming Up Cuban and Flores-Galbis' 90 Miles to Havana.

A MG graphic memoir based on the author’s father.
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It’s the year 1957 and Carlos lives with his brother, sisters and parents in Ceiba Mocha, a small town in Cuba. In a stroke of good luck, Carlos’ father wins the lottery, allowing them to move to the city, build a new house and open a furniture business. But slowly creeping up is Fidel Castro, overthrowing the existing Cuban president and turning the country into a communist state with a revolution. Carlos’ father leaves for America to help get things set up. Will Carlos and his family ever be able to join their dad or will they become casualties of this rebellion?
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This graphic novel hit the right balance between historical content and a character-driven story, which can be hard to do. I had all the feels reading this one, mainly because of the parallels from the 1960s to now and everything we are facing in this country. The Author’s Note is a must-read, as the author wrote about his own father’s story. This title releases 9/30: you won’t want to miss it.

CW: war, protest, death, government control, gun violence, bullying, vandalism, classism

Based on the true story of the author's family's emigration from Cuba during the revolution, this graphic novel describes the unraveling of a democracy and a brave family's choice to leave for a better life.

The close relationship between Carlos and his grandfather is so special, and the emotional upheaval is portrayed through images and emotional dialogue. I was interested to see the author's note at the end that included real photos and information about the true stories that led to this book. This would be a good supplement to history textbooks as students learn about Fidel Castro and communism in Cuba. I recommend this book for schools and libraries.

The (mostly) true story of the author's father's escape from Cuba as a young boy, told in a compelling combination of prose and illustrations. An interesting insight into the experiences of every day people in Cuba during the turbulent early years of Casto's takeover and reign.