Cuba on the Edge - Short Stories from the Island (Paperback)

Cuba on the Edge presents recent short stories by twenty-one of the best writers on the island. The title refers both to Cubans' awareness of living on the brink of an unknown future, and to the edginess with which they negotiate their way through uncertainties. These twenty-one perspectives reveal very diverse responses to the challenges of daily life. Some stories are set in Havana, while others depict rural or small town Cuba. Many analyze gender roles and gender politics, as well as depicting economic stress and ingenious coping strategies. Some tales are dark, while others are hilarious. Some voices remember the past, and others imagine the future. Many stories address contro-versial topics: prostitution, crime, exile, disillusionment, skepticism. But the predominant tone is of reaffirmation of human ties and survival, and of celebration of the complex strata of Cuban experience.