ISLAND OF MEMORY Shares Cuban Immigrant's Recollections

McLEAN, Va. -

Despite years of living in the United States, long-time northern Virginia resident Robert Diego López had vivid memories of his life in Cuba, where he was born in 1930. He shares those memories in a new memoir released by Dog Ear Publishing. Descriptions of the streets of old Havana and a neighborhood with crowded streetcars and peddlers mingle with personal stories about Cuba before Fidel Castro and communism changed the island nation forever.
"Island of Memory: Growing Up in Cuba Before the Revolution" brings to life in vivid detail the sun-crowned city of Havana, the dark green ocean and brilliant blue sky - clear until the clouds gathered into the day's tropical storm. Mule-drawn wagons carry coal down the street. Peddlers ply everything from fish to sweets. Men play dice in the bodegas while drinking beer or endless cups of wickedly strong coffee.

The author's love of his large, tight-knit family shines through in numerous stories that prove both humorous and heart-warming. López writes about the strength of family life, the central role of the Catholic church, Cuba's near-religious love of baseball, and the colorful, quirky personalities that inhabited his Havana. There was Alejandro, who daily sold tamales, empanadas and sweets in the streets outside López's home; Antonio, who came to paint a room or two and stayed for months; and Pedro, an artisan in wood and an expert in pigeons - not to mention Mamía, who had her own social welfare system.
Those days are gone forever when Fidel Castro took over the country, neighbor turns against neighbor and families divide, according to their political views. When the time came to leave, López's family was forced to leave behind their homeland, possessions and often family members. Although they never returned, Cuba remained in their cherished memories.

Author Roberto Diego López started over in 1960 when he and his wife, Milagros, and their daughter, Carmen, came to the United States from Cuba. They later had another daughter, Nani. He worked briefly as a busboy and salesman while studying English and business. López retired in 1987 as vice president and treasurer of Systems Services Division, Planning Research Corporation, in McLean, Va. He died in 2002. His second wife, Virginia Croft López, an editor/writer and retired director of the Research Center, Aerospace Industries Association, helped create this memoir.

For additional information, please visit http://www.isleofmemory.com

Island of Memory: Growing Up in Cuba Before the Revolution
Roberto Diego López with Virginia Croft López Dog Ear Publishing ISBN: 978-1-4575-3450-8 168 pages $15.95 US
Available at Ingram, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble and fine bookstores everywhere.

About Dog Ear Publishing, LLC Dog Ear Publishing offers completely customized self-publishing services for independent authors. We provide cost-effective, fast, and highly profitable services to publish and distribute independently published books. Our book publishing and distribution services reach worldwide. Dog Ear authors retain all rights and complete creative control throughout the entire self-publishing process. Dog Ear Publishing reviews services and other book marketing services are available to connect great content with interested readers. Self-publishing services are available globally at http://www.dogearpublishing.net and from our offices in Indianapolis. Dog Ear Publishing - self-publishing that actually makes sense.

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