The Mortifications by Derek Palacio is a novel about a mother and her son and daughter who leave their father behind and escape Cuba on the Mariel Boatlift in 1980. They head north to start a new life in Connecticut. The mother eventually meets a Dutch tobacco farmer and they all seem to be settled in their new life in America.

However, the call of one’s homeland is hard to silence. Palacio does a good job of showing just how strong that pull can be, and how strong the bonds of family can be. Ultimately I found the book rather depressing and it reminded me that I generally prefer books written by women.