Cuba on the Brink: Ada Ferrer on Life Under US Pressure

Ada Ferrer won the Pulitzer Prize in 2022 for her acclaimed book, Cuba: An American History, which examined the island’s relationship with the US. Her latest work, Keeper of My Kin, tells her family story: a mother who fled the island nation carrying an infant daughter, while leaving a brother behind. Now, as Donald Trump increases pressure on Cubans and their leaders, cutting off oil while  obtaining an indictment of Raul Castro for the 1996 shootdown of a small plane, Ferrer tells Mishal Husain about the human cost of Cuba’s long crisis. 03:26 - Writing “Keeper of my Kin”04:09 - A love-hate relationship with Cuba 05:40 - The Cuba of Castro 07:11 - Leaving Cuba in 196308:13 - Leaving her brother Poly behind12:08 - Letters from Poly15:48 - Cuba’s history of migration 17:58 - Helping family in Cuba 22:50 - People in Cuba are “suffering”24:01 - A threat to US national security?26:51 - A shared experience with Rubio32:19 - Cuban-Americans and Trump34:04 Obama’s visit to Cuba 37:52 - Calling myself an American 39:52 - The books is a “testament of love” Contact The Mishal Husain Show [email protected] Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.