A true story of endurance and determination. Miguel, a Soviet-trained Cuban scientist, finds himself surrounded by suspicion and subjected to accusations due to his growing knowledge of computer networks and his persistent use of the internet.
At a pivotal moment in the story, Miguel reacts when a report from the Cuban security police lands in his possession:
"[Miguel] sat and read the security report carefully, methodically; he needed to absorb every word. His heart pounded when he got to the part that read: 'Continue investigation of espionage on the principal network specialist.' That was him. He thought of General Ochoa’s execution by firing squad for treason. It could happen to him. It could be his fate. 'Why can’t they just leave me alone? I’m so tired of all this bullshit,' he thought."
He launches the fight of his life with the sharpness of a highly trained engineer:
“I realized that we did not have one problem; we had two. First, we had to figure out how to leave Cuba. That was the most difficult challenge. Secondly, we needed to figure out how to enter the U.S. without a visa. Probably not as difficult, but still difficult.”
A man who suffered under two communist regimes—the Soviet Union and Cuba—escapes to the US with his family in an ingenious scheme, more complicated than in any detective novel. A book filled with human story details rarely available to a Western reader. A fascinating read.
– Mark Budman, author of My Life at First Try
The book is available here