linda hardister rodriguez

On January 8, 1959, the triumphant Fidel Castro leads his forces through the streets of Havana. Thousands of Cubans celebrate, cheer him on, and dream of a better life. The corrupt dictator Batista is gone and democracy is here in the form of this savior, Fidel. No one is more excited than 14-year-old Francisco. He makes his way through the crowd to come face-to-face with his new hero. A short 20 months later, Francisco fears for his life as Castro’s government forces him to leave his family, his country, and his culture. Fleeing the Sharks: A Cuban Family Story tells of a revolution’s broken promises, of shattered families driven from their homes, and of a nation betrayed. For years, author Linda Hardister Rodriguez listened to her husband’s Cuban family story and it caught hold of her imagination. The result is a story that places the reader in the shoes of a boy coming of age while one of the 20th Century’s most formative events destroys the world as he has known it.