Isa has graduated high school and can’t wait to escape Miami for college in Michigan. She’s weary of her mother’s Cuban ways and the way she keeps longing for the homeland. But when her mother is diagnosed with breast cancer and Isa catches her new boyfriend Andrew cheating with her best friend, Isa realizes the staying power of home, love and family. Some swearing and expressed sexual desire including Isa’s birthday date at the Biltmore Hotel with Andrew. ( )

Mami’s little girl isn’t exactly what you’d call Isabel Diaz. Living in Miami, Florida, Cuban culture is everywhere, but for Isa it has been dumped on her from day one and she has just about had it with talk of a place that she has never even seen. For her, the best place is at Michigan University where she is planning to attend at the end of the summer to start her “mother-free life” just like her older sister Carmen; there she will not have to worry about being tracked day and night by her mom or disagreeing over the simplest things, such as an outfit. But until that happens she spends her time away from home, working at Everglades National Park teaching art to little kids, she there starts a painting of a girl sitting on the beach longing for something…. It’s also there where she meets the hot, mystery man Andrew Corbin and can’t help but develop deep feelings for him, even though she had promised herself that she wouldn’t get involved with anyone before leaving for M-U, especially after Robi Puertas. Robi was her ex-boyfriend who her family loved more a lot more than she did.
As her relationship with Andrew grows, the one with her mother only gets worse. It’s only when he starts to turn out not to be the kind of person who he said he was, she starts to become closer to her roots and accept her heritage and mom for what they are, Cuban. With this she begins to understand her mom, her ancestors and herself; she is finally able to finish her painting. Though this story is fiction the author based it on her own Cuban-American life. It’s a beautiful story of family, love, and heritage as told by the main character, Isabel Diaz. She tells about her experiences and her thoughts, I liked how it was so relatable because rather than sounding like a piece of writing, it sounded more like one teen talking to another. Cubanita by Gaby Triana is a great insight to Cuban culture with its explanation of their food, history, and even language. It was a very good touch to the story that she adds the Spanish language in various places throughout the book, such as, “La verdad que sometimes I wonder if they didn’t switch you for another baby at the hospital”(pg. 2), and “¿Qué tal, hija? ¿Qué hiciste?” (pg. 146), it really gave a good look at their home life. It was also interesting to see into the main character’s mind in her narration of the story and see her gradually mature into a more free, rooted, and put-together self. The book was a great read and an emotional rollercoaster that takes the reader for a ride with the characters. -S.M.

This book would have been more appealing if the author had fully translated the Spanish in it. As it was, as a non-Spanish speaking person, I found it very frustrating having large hunks of text in another language, and having the main character answer in English so you had to guess at what was being asked!
The Spanish speaker is the mother who fled Cuba after her parents were killed by the Communists and now lives in Miami. The English speaker is the youngest daughter 17 year old Isa who has just finished high school and can't escape the clutches of her over-protective mother fast enough. As she waits for summer to end so she can start Uni, Isa teaches Art at the local holiday program. There she falls for Coach Andrew ( gorgeous dark brooding 23 year old) despite just dumping her long term flame Robbie because she wants "no ties" before she starts at College.
Is Andrew all he seems? Could he be cheating on her? And what of her mother's medical problems - is it something more than Mami being hysterical?
p.126 -131. Stefan ( Isa's brother)'s girlfriend thinks she knows Andrew from somewhere - perhaps the gym?