A review by lovegirl30
The Mortifications by Derek Palacio

This was my first Cuban-American novel. I had also never read anything in the political genre. It was a rather interesting story.

The story starts out with Soledad and her two twin children who immigrate to America in 1980 during the Mariel boat lift which was a mass emigration of Cubans who traveled from Cuba's Mariel Harbor to the United States. They ultimately were looking to gain asylum by taking refuge on the grounds of the Peruvian embassy; the Cuban Government announced that anyone who wanted to leave could do so. The ensuing mass migration was organized by Cuban-Americans with the agreement of Cuban President Fidel Castro.

At this time Jimmy Carter was President. This caused countless political problems. Apparently, it had been discovered that some the refugees had been released from Cuban jails and mental health facilities. The Mariel boatlift was ended by agreement between two governments in late 1980 after as many as 125,000 Cubans reached Florida.


Sadly I did feel a bit bored during the story. Ultimately, I was expecting an immigrant experience story, and it doesn't read like that, but more of a dysfunctional family saga. Many layers but lots of drama. Maybe even too much drama.

Overall a decent read.

Disclaimer I received this book for review. Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley as well as Blogging for books. All thoughts are my own.