This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Foluso Falaye for Readers' Favorite
Journey Back into the Vault: In Search of My Faded Cuban Childhood Footprints is Mario Cartaya's story about reconnecting with his roots after spending decades away from the country of his birth. Mario lived the first nine years of his life and developed his sense of identity in Cuba. Due to political turmoil, he had to flee the country with his parents and brother on 13 November 1960. As a foreign student schooling in the US, Mario struggled with fitting in but eventually graduated from the University of Florida to become a confident, optimistic American architect. Decades later, Mario felt a need to connect with his past and his former identity, which he had left behind in Cuba. In his autobiography, Mario relates how his travels in Cuba ignited memories, and shares the many pleasant surprises he experienced as he went from one nostalgic location to another.
To write a genuine memoir you need to know yourself and where you're coming from. This book reveals that Mario Cartaya is in tune with his true self, embracing both his former and present identities. It shows us how the different individuals, places, and things Mario encountered helped him link with his heritage and childhood while merging those memories smoothly with his more recent travel experience. We see him as a child who loved baseball and his family, and engaging in funny, daring pranks. The book also includes an intelligent analysis of the political and social situation of present-day Cuba, and how it compares with an earlier period in history. Journey Back into the Vault is a book you can't afford to miss. Through it, you will come to understand the value of reconnecting with your treasured memories and events that influenced your early life.
