| "Telex from Cuba" authored by Rachel Kushner is one of those books that mixes historical facts with an interesting fictional narrative–a book you simply cannot put down once you start reading it. It is a story about the employees of the United Fruit Company in Cuba and the 330,000 acres of land that it controlled in eastern Cuba during the 1950s prior to Fidel Castro’s revolution.
At the time, The United Fruit Company was one of the most powerful multinational corporations in existence. It operated in foreign countries like a government within a government. The company had deep ties in the United |
States State Department and the CIA. It’s power was such that the origin of the term "banana-republic" goes back to the United Fruit’s influence throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. Latin Americans referred to the company as "el pulpo" (the octopus) because of its far reach and ubiquity.
Rachel Kushner ties together intertwined stories of an exotic dancer from Havana, a colorful weapons merchant from France, the Stites family, several other American families, several Cuban characters, Fidel Castro and President’s Prio and Batista. It is a fascinating journey into a time that has disappeared and in which so much was displaced and replaced. It is also a comprehensive exploration of the towns of Preston and Nicaro which, although on Cuban soil, were completely controlled by American companies.
Her mastery of the history of the time and her ability to make you sympathize with certain characters and disdain others is brilliant. By reading the book, you come to understand why a desire for change existed in Cuba and you also get a feel as to why Fidel Castro eliminated all contact with the United States and in the process the Cuban economy.
At the end of the book, you feel sad that it has ended and you feel saddened for the fate of many of its characters. No one is truly happy at the end–except perhaps Fidel who takes over and begins the process of executing his opposition. The last chapter becomes a depressing retelling of the end of an era and the repercussions which were felt for many years afterwards.
I recommend this book. I can’t say enough good things about the excellent writing, the research and feeling of immersion that you get while reading the book.
