Light for Lucinda: A Story from the Cuban Revolution

Description: A heartfelt story that highlights the ever-present love and comfort a family brings one another during a time of uncertainty and strife.

Set during the Cuban Revolution, this lyrical picture book for 6-to-9-year-olds balances the experience of upheaval and hardship with the hope of brighter days ahead.

When military violence erupts in the streets outside Lucinda's home, the family joins together, pushing furniture against doors, filling cracks with wet napkins, and lighting candles when met with darkness. Amidst the blasts and cries, Lucinda's heart taps against her chest. Mamá's spoon taps against her sizzling pan. How can she cook when so much is happening outside?

A Light for Lucinda honors the human instinct to provide order and stability during times of chaos and strife with poignant, uplifting storytelling.

Also available in Spanish as Una luz para Lucinda.

Review Quotes: A young girl shelters in place with her family during the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959).
Lucinda lives in Santa Clara, where escalating military activity fills her neighborhood with fear. As tanks rumble past and gunfire echoes in the distance, her family and neighbors remain indoors with the shutters closed tight. Inside, her tía offers quiet reassurance, echoed by the steady pressure cooker shushing on the stove. Lucinda's mamá responds to the tension by preparing a meal for family and neighbors seeking refuge. The familiar aromas gradually replace the scent of smoke drifting in from outside. When Lucinda wonders how Mamá can cook at a time like this, her mother explains that although they cannot control what is happening beyond their walls, they can each work to create safety and comfort within them. Later, when the lights go out, Abuela gently reminds the family that they can make their own light through care for one another. Soft pastel illustrations and expressive faces emphasize the tenderness shared among neighbors. The story closes with the community stepping outside to tidy their street, carrying forward a sense of hope. Lucinda's journey affirms that fear is natural in uncertain times and that even small acts of care can steady a community.
A poignant tale in which love and shared purpose become a family's brightest light.
--Kirkus Reviews

A girl and her family pull together during a chaotic night in this hopeful picture book set during the Cuban Revolution (1953-1959). Armored tanks rumble in the streets and awful smells of smoke and ­gunpowder fill the air in Lucinda's town of Santa Clara. Her family shelters inside their humble home, taking in neighbors and extended family. Scenes alternate between their hurried reactions to the blasts and shouts in the streets and the blackout to the measured and familiar steps that Lucinda's mom takes to make rice, beans, and picadillo, a Cuban dish of seasoned ground beef. Herrera uses onomatopoeia to immerse readers into the scene, with both the tap, tap, tap of Lucinda's racing heart and her mother's wooden spoon. The changes in font help reinforce what the characters are feeling. Digital illustrations capture the tensions inside and outside, while remaining sensible to a child's experience of war and uncertainty. An author's note details the inspiration for this tale, based on her mother's experience during the Cuban Revolution. The message that everyone can do their parts to shine a light in the midst of darkness and situations out of their control will resonate with many children. The characters have tan skin. A recipe for picadillo is included in the back matter.VERDICT A strong choice for most picture book collections, especially where there are communities enduring hardship and ­recent trauma.
--School Library Journal