La conmovedora historia de un nio que, a pesar de afrontar el abuso fsico en casa, en su barrio y en su pas, jams perdi la alegra de vivir. Alexis Valds escribe con profunda ternura sobre el nio que fue y logra reflejar en estaspginas no solo los aos ms duros de su vida, sino transportar al lector a la Cuba de su infancia y adolescencia, con sus problemas, sus carencias, su dolor, pero tambin con una alegra de vivir y la esperanza de que algn da todo ser mejor. El pequeo Alexis es un nio sensible y tmido, que vive con su madre, su hermano y su padrastro que le odia porque se parece mucho a su padre. El machista padrastro no soporta esa imagen dentro de la casa: La imagen del otro hombre de su mujer. El autor narra su vida en un pas donde el abuso y el bullying flota en el ambiente: En casa, donde soportaba las palizas del innombrable, porque se rehusa a escribir su nombre; en el barrio, donde otros padres golpean a sus hijos, los fuertes abusan de los dbiles y los homosexuales son masacrados, y en el pas donde el gobierno abusa de todos. Alexis y su familia viven en un barrio de La Habana donde los guapos --los tipos duros dela calle-- imponen su ley. Es un ambiente salvaje donde son comunes las peleas de boxeo clandestinas. Solo hay un hombre bueno al que todos temen en el barrio, fuerte como una roca, el padrastro de Renecito, el nio estrella del barrio, y uno de los defensores denuestro protagonista. Los otros defensores que salvan al nio son su abuela Amrica, una viejita mgica que leda esperanza y fuerza; su hermano asmtico y delgaducho, pero muy valiente, y su padre, que es un hombre de xito, alegre y carioso, pero al que no permiten ver a menudo. El escape del nio es su sueo de viajar a Praga, una ciudad llena de castillos y nios con gorritos y las mejillas rosadas. Todo comienza cuando participa en un concurso de Radio Praga Internacional, que tiene una emisin especial para Amrica Latina. El nio les manda una carta cada semana para participar en el concurso que, de ganarlo, le llevara ala hermosa ciudad Checa, y ms que eso, le sacara por un tiempo del infierno en que vive. ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONA heartwarming tale about a young boy who, in spite of dealing with abuse at home, in his neighborhood, and in his country, never lost his joy of living. With deep tenderness, Alexis Valds writes about the boy he once was. Within these pages, he not only captures the toughest years in his life, but takes the reader to the Cuba of his childhood and teenage years, with his problems, his deprivations, his pain, but also his lust for life and the hope of a better day. Young Alexis is a sensitive and shy boy who lives with his mother, brother, and stepfather, who hates him because Alexis looks a lot like his father. His sexist stepfather can't stand his likeness around the house--the face of his wife's other man. The author retells his experience in a country where abuse and bullying permeate the air. At home, where he stands the constant beatings of the unmentionable--because he refuses to write down his name. In his neighborhood, where the other parents beat their children, the strong mistreat the weak, and homosexuals are massacred. In a country where the government abuses everyone. Alexis and his family live in Havana, in a neighborhood where the "guapos"--the tough kids--make the law. It's a wild environment where illegal boxing matches are commonplace. There is only one good man, strong as a rock, that everyone is afraid of: Renecito's stepfather, the golden boy in the neighborhood and one of our protagonist's protectors. The other protectors who save Alexis are his grandmother, Amrica, a magical old lady that gives him strength and hope; his asthmatic and skinny but very brave brother, and his father, a successful man, cheerful and caring, but whom he doesn't get to see so often. Alexis escapes by dreaming of going to Prague, a city full of castles and children with beanies and rosy cheeks. It all starts when he enters a Prague International Radio contest, a special broadcast for Latin America. Alexis sends them a letter every week to join the competition. If he should win, he would go to the beautiful Czech city. And more than that, he would escape the hell he lives in for a while.
La conmovedora historia de un nio que, a pesar de afrontar el abuso fsico en casa, en su barrio y en su pas, jams perdi la alegra de vivir. Alexis Valds escribe con profunda ternura sobre el nio que fue y logra reflejar en estaspginas no solo los aos ms duros de su vida, sino transportar al lector a la Cuba de su infancia y adolescencia, con sus problemas, sus carencias, su dolor, pero tambin con una alegra de vivir y la esperanza de que algn da todo ser mejor. El pequeo Alexis es un nio sensible y tmido, que vive con su madre, su hermano y su padrastro que le odia porque se parece mucho a su padre. El machista padrastro no soporta esa imagen dentro de la casa: La imagen del otro hombre de su mujer. El autor narra su vida en un pas donde el abuso y el bullying flota en el ambiente: En casa, donde soportaba las palizas del innombrable, porque se rehusa a escribir su nombre; en el barrio, donde otros padres golpean a sus hijos, los fuertes abusan de los dbiles y los homosexuales son masacrados, y en el pas donde el gobierno abusa de todos. Alexis y su familia viven en un barrio de La Habana donde los guapos --los tipos duros dela calle-- imponen su ley. Es un ambiente salvaje donde son comunes las peleas de boxeo clandestinas. Solo hay un hombre bueno al que todos temen en el barrio, fuerte como una roca, el padrastro de Renecito, el nio estrella del barrio, y uno de los defensores denuestro protagonista. Los otros defensores que salvan al nio son su abuela Amrica, una viejita mgica que leda esperanza y fuerza; su hermano asmtico y delgaducho, pero muy valiente, y su padre, que es un hombre de xito, alegre y carioso, pero al que no permiten ver a menudo. El escape del nio es su sueo de viajar a Praga, una ciudad llena de castillos y nios con gorritos y las mejillas rosadas. Todo comienza cuando participa en un concurso de Radio Praga Internacional, que tiene una emisin especial para Amrica Latina. El nio les manda una carta cada semana para participar en el concurso que, de ganarlo, le llevara ala hermosa ciudad Checa, y ms que eso, le sacara por un tiempo del infierno en que vive. ENGLISH DESCRIPTIONA heartwarming tale about a young boy who, in spite of dealing with abuse at home, in his neighborhood, and in his country, never lost his joy of living. With deep tenderness, Alexis Valds writes about the boy he once was. Within these pages, he not only captures the toughest years in his life, but takes the reader to the Cuba of his childhood and teenage years, with his problems, his deprivations, his pain, but also his lust for life and the hope of a better day. Young Alexis is a sensitive and shy boy who lives with his mother, brother, and stepfather, who hates him because Alexis looks a lot like his father. His sexist stepfather can't stand his likeness around the house--the face of his wife's other man. The author retells his experience in a country where abuse and bullying permeate the air. At home, where he stands the constant beatings of the unmentionable--because he refuses to write down his name. In his neighborhood, where the other parents beat their children, the strong mistreat the weak, and homosexuals are massacred. In a country where the government abuses everyone. Alexis and his family live in Havana, in a neighborhood where the "guapos"--the tough kids--make the law. It's a wild environment where illegal boxing matches are commonplace. There is only one good man, strong as a rock, that everyone is afraid of: Renecito's stepfather, the golden boy in the neighborhood and one of our protagonist's protectors. The other protectors who save Alexis are his grandmother, Amrica, a magical old lady that gives him strength and hope; his asthmatic and skinny but very brave brother, and his father, a successful man, cheerful and caring, but whom he doesn't get to see so often. Alexis escapes by dreaming of going to Prague, a city full of castles and children with beanies and rosy cheeks. It all starts when he enters a Prague International Radio contest, a special broadcast for Latin America. Alexis sends them a letter every week to join the competition. If he should win, he would go to the beautiful Czech city. And more than that, he would escape the hell he lives in for a while.
