Dear Faculty, Staff, Colleagues, Students, and Friends,

  We are please to announce and to celebrate the book launch of Mason's own 
Liz Huergo's new book - "The Death of Fidel Perez." 

On July 26, 2003, the 50th anniversary of the Moncada Army Barracks raid that 
sparked the Cuban revolution, something unexpected happens.  When Fidel 
Perez and his brother accidentally tumble to their deaths from their Havana 
balcony, the neighbors' outcry "Fidel has fallen!" is misinterpreted by those who 
hear it.  That wishful mistake quickly ripples outward on the running cries of the 
people, and it gloriously reawakens a suppressed city. 
Three Habaneros in particular by the news: an elderly street visionary named 
Saturnina, the remorseful Professor Pedro Valle, and his impressionable 
firebrand of a student, Camilo.  All three are haunted by the past and now, once 
again, are made to confront a new future, and perhaps another revolution.  
Their stories-so real, distressing and insuppressible-are beautifully braided into 
new hope as they converge in the frantic crowd that gathers in La Plaza de la 
Revolucion.

Early Reviews: "There is an erudition of language and a wealth of dramatized 
history in this novel.  Both a portrait of the realities of the revolution and a 
speculative fiction as to what has happened to the Cuban soul...The Death of 
Fidel Perez will reward both a general audience looking for a lively read and the 
discerning reader who truly cares about literature: in short, a heartfelt and 
well-written novel, with a provocative premise."
-Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer-prize winner-

"This is the story of a day wen an accident cascades into a movement.  When 
Fidel Perez and his brother fall from their balcony, the neighbors' outcry "Fidel 
has fallen!" - caries outward across the city.  Fear and joy, sadness and 
celebration pass through the streets of Havana on a chorus of shouts, waits, 
and cheers.  And a newborn anticipation fills the capital, a city the Huergo 
paints for us in sharp detail and with genuine affection.
Both insightful and personal, by turns humorous and poignant,The Death of Fidel 
Perez bounces hope and resilience off of the broken promises of the Cuban 
Revolution.  Indeed, Elizabeth Huergo's breathtaking debut fairly rings with the 
triumphal heart of a nation.  The Death of Fidel Perez  is a brilliantly achieved 
and totally convincing exploration of life in contemporary Cuba.  Elizabeth 
Huergo brings Havana to life and peoples it with a cast of memorable 
characters who are caught in, though not always defined, by history.  This is a 
remarkable debut."
-Eamonn Wall, author of Sailing Lake Mareotis

The Party will be Monday, April 8 at 4:00 pm at The Women and Gender Studies 
Center, Johnson Center, Room 240k.
Please RSVP to Tashia Harris at [log in to unmask]

Hope to see you all there!