Tattlin, Isadora

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TATTLIN, Isadora

PERSONAL: Born in CA; married; children: two.

ADDRESSES: Agent—c/o Author Mail, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, P.O. Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515.

CAREER: Homemaker and writer.

WRITINGS:

Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife in Havana, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC), 2002.

SIDELIGHTS: Isadora Tattlin, born and raised in California, moved to New York as a young adult. She married a European energy consultant, Tattlin and the couple's two children live wherever her husband's job takes them. In the early 1990s, that place was Havana, Cuba, and Tattlin decided to keep a diary of the experience. Cuba Diaries: An American Housewife In Havana is based on her diary entries, and—because of its candor and her concern of reprisal by the Cuban government—she disguises many of the details.

Reviewing the book for the New York Times Book Review, Maria Russo called it an "Inspired record of four years in Fidel Castro's Cuba. … Written in a tone that moves between compassion and outraged incredulity, Cuba Diaries is organized as a series of vignettes of such unconventional (at least in Cuba) activities as building a swimming pool and taking a weekend excursion to the beach: in this case, the stunningly beautiful beach near Baracoa, where Columbus landed in 1492 and where the amenities haven't improved all that much."

Tattlin's book provides information—seriously lacking in the world outside Cuba—about life within that country. For example, she writes of families torn apart by politics and exile; women and children begging tourists for soap and shampoo; the lack of merchandise, even in stores open for business; and the never-ending struggle to find adequate food. "Cuba Diaries can be a little too free-form," Russo wrote, "but it's always striking—above all, as a testament to the human capacity to endure and even flourish under terrible conditions."

Some of the difficult living conditions forced upon Cubans by the U.S. embargo of goods and services were experienced by Tattlin and her family, even with their large income, huge house with seven servants, and having had Fidel Castro as a dinner guest. Tattlin describes how no one could be trusted—the handyman spies openly, giving weekly reports to the government about the family's activities—nothing of importance can be discussed over the telephone, and finding food was always difficult, even for her.

Pabiola Santiago stated in a review of the book posted on the Twin Cities Web site that Tattlin has a good grasp on life in Cuba and commented: "When she interjects her sense of humor into the equation … Tattlin comes up with passages that illuminate." Santiago also cited areas in which the book appears judgmental. "The jacket, for example, features a picture of a clothesline running along a building of gorgeous, historic architecture. In a society where having a clothes dryer is a rare luxury, a clothesline is a daily necessity."

A Publishers Weekly reviewer commented: "Her writing is clear and lively, her observances astute and witty. … Tattlin's book is an enjoyable, warm trip."