Authors: Christina Gonzalez
I also want to thank my sister, who has always been my sounding board and best friend. I know I can always count on you.
Thank you to my husband, who believes everything I write is perfect … even when it’s not. You fill my life with love and happiness. I am forever grateful that you encouraged me to follow my dreams.
Thank you to my sons, who inspired me to pursue my passion for writing. You are my greatest joy and I am very lucky to be your mother. I hope this book reminds you of your family’s past as you follow your own destiny.
Thank you to my mother-in-law, who shared her own experiences as a Pedro Pan child and whom I’m lucky enough to have in my life.
For the world’s best brother-in-law, who “volunteered” to do my book trailer. You rock!
To all my aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews … thank you for adding so much to my life. Comparisons to the movie
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
do not do justice to the amazing, supportive, loud, and crazy family that we are.
There are also several people in the writing world whom I am fortunate enough to consider friends and who helped make this book a reality.
Beginning with my amazing editor, Nancy Siscoe, who saw the potential of this book within the first ten pages and encouraged me to finish it ASAP. Thank you for all your guidance and advice. You are the best!
Thank you to author and task-keeper Danielle Joseph, who pushed me to finish this book by checking on my progress with her nightly e-mails.
Special thanks to all my SCBWI friends and especially my critique group partners: Adrienne Sylver, Linda Bernfeld, Gaby Triana, Liz Trotta, Mary Thorp, Marta Magellan, Tere Starr, Ruth Vander Zee, Marjetta Geerling, Michelle Delisle, Kerry Cerra, Mindy Alyse Weiss, Mindy Dolandis, and my mentor, Joyce Sweeney. The advice and feedback I receive from all of you has shaped my writing, and I know that I am a better writer because of it.
To the star of my book trailer, Stephanie Freire, and the supporting cast members, Gaby Reyes, Madeleine Saade, Emily Ferradaz, Adriana Perez-Siam, Lauren Medina, Aliana Zamorano, Michael Schnabel, Derek Diaz, Frank
Sancho, Martha Alcazar, Priscilla Valls, and Alison Wood Griñan … thank you all for adding a new dimension to the book!
A big thank-you also goes to everyone who shared their knowledge of Cuba and Operation Pedro Pan with me, especially Jorge “Jay” Guarch, Jr., Lynn Guarch-Pardo, Frank Angones, and Dr. Brian Latell.
Finally, to everyone at the Knopf/Random House family who worked on all the different phases of this book … thank you so much for helping make
The Red Umbrella
possible.
Spanish words and phrases used in
The Red Umbrella
a mí no me gusta eso
(ah mee noh meh GOO-stah EH-soh): I don’t like that
abuela
(ah-BWEH-lah): grandmother
adiós
(ah-dee-OHS): good-bye
anís
(ah-NEES): star anise — used in herbal teas
apúrate
(ah-POO-rah-teh): hurry up
aquí
(ah-KEE): here
arroz con pollo
(ah-ROHS kohn POH-yoh): traditional Spanish dish of rice and chicken
baja
(BAH-hah): to fall
basta
(BAH-stah): enough
besos
(BEH-sohs): kisses
bien
(bee-EN): fine, well
bobo
(BOH-boh): stupid, used informally
bolsillo
(bohl-SEE-yoh): pocket
brigadista
(bree-gah-DEE-stah): member of the brigades
bueno
(BWEH-noh): good
buenos días
(BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs): good morning
café con leche
(kah-FAY kohn LEH-cheh): coffee with milk
cao
(kow): crow
cepillos de dientes
(seh-PEE-yohs deh dee-EN-tes): toothbrushes
charco de fango
(CHAHR-koh deh FAHN-goh): puddle of mud
chica
(CHEE-kah): girl
chisme
(CHEEZ-meh): gossip
cinco
(SEEN-koh): five
claves
(KLAH-vehs): a percussion instrument made up of a pair of short, cylindrical rods
cobardes
(koh-BAHR-des): cowards
comas
(KOH-mahs): eat
cómo
(KOH-moh): how
cómo estás
(KOH-moh es-TAHS): how are you?
cómo te extraño
(KOH-moh teh eks-TRAH-nyo): how I miss
compañeros
(kohm-pah-NYAY-rohs): companions
comprendes
(kohm-PREN-des): understand
comunista
(koh-moo-NEES-tah): Communist
crema de afeitar
(KREH-mah deh ah-fay-TAHR): shaving cream
croqueta
(kroh-KEH-tah): croquette — a small fried food roll
cuanto
(KWAHN-toh): how much, how many, how long
cuatro
(KWAH-troh): four
cuídate
(KWEE-dah-teh): take care
díme la verdad
(DEE-meh lah vehr-DAHD): tell me the truth
Dios mío
(dee-OHS MEE-oh): my God
ducha
(DOO-chah): shower
es
(es): it is
escucha
(es-KOO-chah): listen
escuelas privadas
(es-KWEH-lahs pree-VAH-dahs): private schools
está bien
(es-TAH bee-EN): okay
estoy
(es-TOY): I am
feliz año nuevo
(feh-LEES AH-nyoh noo-EH-voh): happy New Year
feliz cumpleaños
(feh-LEES koom-pleh-AH-nyohs): happy birthday
Feliz Navidad
(feh-LEES nah-vee-DAHD): Merry Christmas
flan
(flahn): creamy custard-like dessert
frío
(FREE-oh): cold
gabinete
(gah-bee-NEH-tay): medicine cabinet
gracias
(GRAH-see-ahs): thank you
gusanos
(goo-SAH-nohs): worms
habla
(AH-blah): speak, talk
hasta mañana
(AH-stah mah-NYAH-nah): until tomorrow (good night)
hermano
(ehr-MAH-noh): brother
hijos
/
hija
/
hijo
(EE-hohs/ EE-hah / EE-hoh): children / daughter / son
hola
(OH-lah): hello
hombre
(OHM-breh): man
hoy
(oy): today
imperialista
(eem-peh-ree-ah-LEES-tah): imperialist
increíble
(een-kreh-EE-bleh): incredible
invierno
(een-vee-EHR-noh): winter
Jóvenes Rebeldes
(HOH-veh-nes reh-BEL-des): Rebel Youth—the Communist youth movement in Cuba
las cosas cambian
(lahs KOH-sahs KAHM-bee-ahn): things change
lechón
(LAY-chohn): roasted pig
levántate
(leh-VAHN-tah-teh): get up
lindo
/
bien lindo
(bee-EN LEEN-doh): pretty/ very pretty
los odio a todos
(lohs OH-dee-oh a TOH-dohs): I hate them all
Los Pioneros
(lohs pee-oh-NEH-rohs): The Pioneers — Communist youth movement for small children
los queremos también
(lohs keh-REH-mohs tahm-bee-EN): we love you, too
maíz
(mah-EEZ): corn
más
(mahs): more
mejor precaver que tener que lamentar
(meh-HOR preh-kah-VEHR keh ten-EHR keh lah-men-TAHR): better safe than sorry
mentira
(men-TEE-rah): a lie
minutos
(mee-NOO-tohs): minutes
momento
(moh-MEN-toh): moment
mujer
(moo-HEHR): woman
nacionalización
(nah-see-oh-nah-lee-sah-see-OHN): nationalization
nada
(NAH-dah): nothing
nido de parasitos
(NEE-doh deh pah-rah-SEE-tohs): nest of parasites
nieve
(nee-EH-veh): snow
niños
(NEE-nyohs): children
no fue nada
(noh fweh NAH-dah): it was nothing
no importa
(noh eem-POR-tah): it doesn’t matter
no sé
(no seh): don’t know
Nochebuena
(noh-cheh-BWEH-nah): Christmas Eve
nos entendemos
(nohs en-ten-DEH-mohs): we understand each other
nosotros
(noh-SOH-trohs): us
noventa
(noh-VEN-tah): ninety
oye
(OH-yeh): listen
palomilla
(pah-loh-MEE-yah): a very thin steak
pan cubano
(pahn koo-BAH-noh): Cuban bread
para
(PAH-rah): for
paredón
(pah-reh-DOHN): wall used by the firing squad for executions
pecera
(peh-SEH-rah): fishbowl
perdóname
(pehr-DOHN-ah-meh): excuse me
perfecto
(pehr-FEK-toh): perfect
permiso
(pehr-MEE-soh): permission, permit
pero
(PEH-roh): but
picadillo
(pee-kah-DEE-yoh): ground beef hash
plato de segunda mesa
(PLAH-toh deh seh-GOON-dah MEH-sah): literally, second table’s plates—leftovers
por favor
(por fah-VOR): please
por qué
(por keh): why?
pórtate bien
(POR-tah-teh bee-EN): behave well
preciosa
(preh-see-OH-sah): precious
presta atención
(PRES-tah ah-ten-see-OHN): pay attention
puedes ir a jugar
(PWEH-des eer ah HOO-gahr): you can go play
qué
(keh): what?
qué bella estás
(keh BEH-yah es-TAS): how beautiful you are
qué maldito
(keh mahl-DEE-toh): what a devil
qué dijiste
(keh dee-HEE-steh): what did you say?
qué falta de respeto
(keh FAHL-tah deh res-PEH-toh): what disrespect
qué habrá pasado
(keh ah-BRAH pah-SAH-doh): wonder what happened
qué haces
(keh AH-ses): what are you doing?
qué hemos hecho
(keh EH-mohs EH-choh): what have we done?
qué pasa
(keh PAH-sah): what’s wrong?
qué pasó
(keh pah-SOH): what happened?
qué se cree él
(keh seh kreh el): what does he think?
qué te vas a poner
(keh teh vahs ah poh-NEHR): what are you going to wear?
quién es
(kee-EN es): who is it?
quinceañera
(keen-seh-NYEHR-ah) /
quinces
(KEEN sehs): fifteenth birthday party—similar to a sweet sixteen party
repítelo
(reh-PEE-teh-loh): repeat it
revolución
(reh-voh-loo-see-OHN): revolution
sí
(see): yes
siéntate
(see-EN-tah-teh): sit down
sigue
(SEE-geh): continue
sobrina
(soh-BREE-nah): niece
socialismo o muerte
(soh-see-ah-LEES-moh oh moo-EHR-teh): socialism or death
soy yo
(soy yo): it’s me
tarea
(tah-REH-ah): homework
te quiero
(teh kee-EHR-oh): I love you
te voy a extrañar
(teh voy ah eks-trah-NYAHR): I’m going to miss you
tilo
(TEE-loh): linden flowers — used in herbal teas
tío
(TEE-oh): uncle
todo bien
(TOH-doh bee-EN): everything’s okay
tranquila
(trahn-KEE-lah): relax
tres reyes magos
(tres REH-yes MAH-gohs): the three wise men from the Bible
tú eres
(too EH-res): you are
usted conoce
(oo-STED koh-NOH-seh): do you know?
vámonos
(VAH-moh-nohs): let’s go
ven acá
(ven ah-KAH): come here
vida
(VEE-dah): life