The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S. and the Promise of a Better Future

Gaston A. Fernandez of Indiana State University reviews The Lost Apple: Operation Pedro Pan, Cuban Children in the U.S. and the Promise of a Better Future by María de los Angeles Torres. María de los Angeles Torres was six years old when she took part in a massive airlift, now known as “Operation Pedro Pan.” Examining the event from both a historical and a deeply personal perspective, Torres focuses on the plight of the refugee children, broaching a larger discussion of how nations imagine their future through their progeny. With astonishing tenacity, Torres scoured hundreds of documents from Cuba and the United States, and even sued the CIA under the Freedom of Information Act-forcing declassification of key documents. The Lost Apple challenges America to finally come to terms with this pivotal yet largely neglected exodus.

Read the book review at https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2004.tb00235.xc.