"Freelance journalist Craig (liberal arts, River Valley Community Coll.) has a story to tell. After years of hearing that his great-grandfather fought with Teddy Roosevelt on San Juan Hill, he sought to connect with the past and retrace his ancestor's steps; this book is the result. His adventures in Cuba ultimately involve a dubious Nigerian missionary, a New England feminist choir, and a family secret. Though his travels don't work out as planned, Craig forges on. As they say on the island: ""Estamos en Cuba"." Readers experience Afro-Cuban religious ceremonies, brush-ups with the ever-present secret police, plenty of rum, and several hours on terrible Cuban transportation. VERDICT This memoir could have disintegrated into a slapstick account of a Nigerian scam artist, inflexible Cuban bureaucrats, and the woes of a crumbling Cuban infrastructure. Instead, Craig has crafted a nuanced, coherent account of the Spanish-American War (remember the "Maine"?) interspersed with recent Cuban history and the current reality; the book is also a family memoir and quirky travelog. Recommended for anyone interested in Cuba or the Spanish-American War.-" (Library Journal)
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