4 out of 4 stars
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Fear of the Tide (The Untold Story of a Cuban Rebel) by Analise M. Oliver is a biography that follows the life of the author's father, David Fuentes Martinez. David Fuentes Martinez talked about his adventure and drama-filled life in Cuba, from the unusual circumstances surrounding his birth to joining the counter-revolutionists that opposed Fidel Castro in 1959. The focus of his story was on the political history of Cuba and how it affected him. He talked about life under the corrupt dictator, Fulgencio Batista, which lead to the rise of Fidel Castro and the 26th of July movement. David initially wasn't in support of Castro and his movement, but things got so bad that he hoped for any kind of change. A few years later, Castro overthrew Batista and brought negative change that made Cuba under Batista's ruling seem like heaven. David finally details the role he played in the counter-revolution and how he had to escape Cuba after he was declared wanted.
I haven't read a lot of books like Fear of the Tide, as it isn't one of my go-to genres whenever I have to pick books to read. In the spirit of experimentation, I decided to try this book and I was impressed. The first thing that got my attention when I started reading this book was how well David described events and his feelings. It was very easy to visualize and understand what he was talking about throughout the novel. Another thing I was attracted to was David's great personality. He was a very likeable person, and this was evident in the number of loyal friends he had. His story also reminded me of the importance of true friendship.
Furthermore, I enjoyed the flow of the story. It was fast-paced, organized and written in a chronological order. The action scenes in the book were few and less intense than I hoped they would be. I was also a bit disappointed that David wasn't able to follow up on his romantic interest even though I can understand why he couldn't. The suspense, particularly towards the end of the story, kept me on the edge of my seat.
I found the story informative on the political history of Cuba, especially during the time of Fidel Castro. It showed how Castro brought communism and socialism into the country and forced the people to accept his views. He even went as far as killing those who opposed. David clearly stated why he did not like Castro and his movement. However, I would have liked to hear the reasons why a large section of people supported Castro, especially during arguments David had with some of those people concerning the subject. The book is well edited. There were a few grammatical errors, but none that made my reading difficult at any point.
Overall, I enjoyed reading Fear of the Tide. I am very pleased that I took the time to try a book that I wouldn't normally read. I was skeptical initially, but once I started the first few pages I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. David lived an adventurous life. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I mentioned a few complaints above, but I don't think they are enough to take off a star. I would recommend this book to people who like to read biographies and learn about political history.
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Fear of the Tide
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