The Mysterious Visitor
In the heart of a vibrant yet secretive Havana, Yuri, a resilient 16-year-old orphan, navigates the complexities of adolescence in a country still feeling the echoes of the Berlin Wall’s fall. Her world, once small and predictable, begins to enlarge with the unexpected arrival of Mariela, a stranger from the United States, who carries the weight of forgotten ties and secretive whispers.
Family Secrets Unveiled
Under the warm Cuban sun, Yuri’s religious aunt Ruth reveals that Mariela is more than a tourist; she is family woven into the fabric of Yuri’s origins. According to Times Colonist, Mariela was sent to America during the Operation Pedro Pan, a movement that took thousands of children from Cuba to the U.S. in the early ‘60s. The realization of Mariela as a sister rather than a distant cousin reshapes Yuri’s understanding of who she is and where she belongs.
The Asserts of the Past
Ivonne Lamazares’s “The Tilting House” eloquently crafts a portrait of Yuri’s journey from innocence to maturity amidst political upheaval and personal strife. It tells of a young girl confronting the trust of stories untold, stirred with the chaotic antics of her newly discovered sister. The funeral of Ruth’s dog, Lucho, orchestrated with forbidden fireworks, signifies the blends of tragedy and comedy as Yuri’s world sways uncertainly.
The Tumbling Present
Through absurd art projects and controversial decisions, Yuri learns that Mariela’s existence reflects more than art; it speaks of survival and adaptation in a place where homes, like the tilting house she inhabits, risk collapse under societal and familial pressures. The erosion of their home symbolizes both the literal and metaphorical wear from secrets and regrets finally exposed to the open air.
Seeking Closure
With Ruth detained on unfounded charges, Yuri finds herself alone in a crumbling Havana. Her life’s path now diverges across an ocean, to the United States, where new beginnings wait amidst the echoes of a once hidden past. A return visit to Cuba, where remnants of her childhood linger, leads to a reconciliation with her origins and an acceptance crafted in understanding and love.
Ivonne Lamazares has fashioned a narrative not just of coming of age, but of recognizing the truths that inhabit the inbetween spaces of history and memory.
