This is the fascinating true story of four generations of Cuban women whose personal lives are woven with the story of their nation. At its center is Naty, a socialite born in 1925, who becomes intoxicated with Castro and his revolution. Here, published for the first time, are the letters they exchanged while Castro was in jail. Naty raises Castro's unacknowledged daughter, who in turn bears her a granddaughter before immigrating to America to join protests against her father's regime. Naty's mother, an unregenerate reactionary, completes the family picture.

Each woman is irrevocably marked with the story of their home island. This is a powerful story of the profound consequences of Cuba's contemporary history for the ordinary lives of its people.