Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy

Imagine having to leave your home, your entire country, only end up in a foster home in a foreign land. It's the makings of a traumatic childhood and it's unfortunately the shared story by many. When a young boy from Cuba finds himself a part of the American foster system, he struggles with identity, pride, love, and family.

Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy by Carlos Eire is the story of a boy who comes to America from Cuba. He experiences culture shock in his new home and struggles with becoming "Americanized". Many life changes are forced upon him, such as dietary preferences, clothing, living environment, and school. Some of these changes he accepts while others are met with frustration, aggravation, and struggle.

The title itself stems from the author's past (child) self's desperate need to "kill" his former Cuban self. He becomes "Charles", denying his given name of Carlos. He changes his appearance to become "more American looking". He disassociates himself from his Cuban heritage and tries to "forget about all of that Cuban stuff".  This is his way of coping with the drastic life changes. His happy normal childhood in Cuba is turned upside down when he comes to America. He struggles for a sense of normalcy that just doesn't seem to happen. He's forced to learn and embrace a new, different culture, all the while of being shuffled from foster home to foster home. Nothing in his life feels permanent. Nothing is in his control.

An unfortunate side of America's foster home system is explored through Carlos' experience. One particular foster home is quite traumatic, as his foster parents nearly seem sociopathic. They deny wholesome food, clothing, and basic necessities to the children in their care. Carlos recounts the tattered clothes and shoes that had to be held together with electrical tape in order to keep from falling apart as he walked.

It's easy to be appalled by what happened to Carlos and it's easy to understand why he chose to disassociate himself from life's everyday troubles. When your life is so drastically changed, it's hard to accept what happens in life. Carlos' journey is worthwhile to read. Not because of the hardship he faces, but rather the experiences gained by learning how to deal with it. By reading his story, the reader is allowed a glimpse into a non-traditional upbringing and how someone can grow from it.  This book is about choices. Are we victims of fate, or do we have the free will to change our destiny? When experiencing hardship, what does one do about it? Do you continue the journey of self-destruction, or do you try to change and do some good in the world?  Learning to Die in Miami shows that you can move on.

This book is recomended for teens, young adults, and adult ages. The narrative is simple and easy to follow, as the narrative is spoken in the form of a young boy recounting his days. Some of the material is for a mature audience, as frequent themes of this memoir are abuse, neglect, and sexual conduct. However, the message of this book is strong and should definitely be given the chance, whether you're a fan of non-fictional novels or not.

Learning to Die in Miami: Confessions of a Refugee Boy by Carlos Eire is available on Amazon.com, Barnes And Noble, and retail booksellers. It is also available for the Nook, Kindle, and on audio book.