Estrada, Alfredo José 1959–

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Estrada, Alfredo José 1959–

PERSONAL: Born 1959, in Cuba; married; children: two sons. Education: Attended Harvard University; graduated from University of Texas School of Law.

ADDRESSES: Home—Austin, TX. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Vista Publishing Corporation, 1201 Brickell Ave., Miami, FL 33131.

CAREER: Writer, editor, and novelist. Worked as a lawyer in New York, NY; Hispanic magazine, founder, editor, and publisher, 1988–2000; full-time writer, 2000–.

AWARDS, HONORS: Independent Publisher Book Award for multicultural fiction, 2004, for Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway.

WRITINGS:

Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway (novel), Vista (Miami, FL), 2003.

WORK IN PROGRESS: A novel; a history of Havana, Cuba, expected publication by St. Martin's Press, 2007.

SIDELIGHTS: Writer, editor, and novelist Alfredo José Estrada turned to his own family history to find the kernel of the idea that formed his debut novel, Welcome to Havana, Señor Hemingway. When the Cuban-born, Harvard-educated Estrada discovered a photograph of his grandfather, Javier Lopez Angulo, he was astonished to realize that the other person in the picture was legendary American writer Ernest Hemingway. Although it turned out that his grandfather did not know Hemingway personally, Estrada was struck by the idea that his grandfather could have been one of the people who introduced Hemingway to Cuba. Thus, Estrada's novel is constructed around Hemingway's frequently luxurious but often troubled days in Cuba and his fictional relationship with Javier Angulo.

In the book, a Cuban-American writer travels back to Cuba to find out about his grandfather, Javier, who had a close friendship and a subsequent bitter falling-out with Hemingway. When he talks to his grandmother, he discovers she had little affection for Hemingway, but a great deal of love for his grandfather, who had wanted to be a writer himself. The story then segues to 1930s Cuba, where political violence and social unrest make the country a volatile if exciting place to live. Here, Hemingway fishes for marlin, drinks copious amounts of liquor in the taverns, and writes—or tries to write, when writer's block does not plague him. Soon Javier is drawn into the charismatic Hemingway's circle of friends and family. The novel proceeds largely through the actions and interactions of these characters.

One night Hemingway confides in Javier about the sometimes soul-numbing difficulty of being a writer, though he admits that the only thing worse is not writing at all. Eventually, the two have an altercation that leads to the dissolution of their friendship. Javier realizes, tragically, that he will never succeed as a writer. Meanwhile, Hemingway contributes to a bid for freedom during a violent popular revolt and shortly afterward leaves the island.

Library Journal reviewer Jack Shreve called the book a "detailed page-turner of a first novel," while Miami Herald critic Fabiola Santiago named it "a smartly executed first novel, notable for gracefully written passages and authentic dialogue." Because of his use of Hemingway as a fictional character, Estrada can speculate at will on the writer's emotions and motivations. This speculation leads to "a credible, remarkably polished story about a troubled writer's relationship with a tropical island and one of its inhabitants," observed David Pitt in Booklist. "Fans of Hemingway and Cuban history buffs, especially anyone nostalgic for anything that brings back the grandeur of old Cuba, will love this novel," commented Santiago.