Part memoir, part history and part travelogue, Havana without Makeup
... take[s] you places you would never find in a guide book.--Mimi
Whitefield, Miami Herald The story Portocarero weaves here is rich
and fascinating, and vital to understanding an often mysterious
place.--Patrick Oppmann, CNN Havana Correspondent and Bureau Chief
Havana without Makeup is the ultimate insider's view of Havana, a
wide-ranging exploration of its complex facets as seen by few. Its aim
is to capture the soul of a city and a society that have evolved on
their own terms at the moment before they face inevitable
transformations.
Opening on the eve of the announcement of reconciliation between the
U.S. and Cuba, the book then looks back at the cultural, political,
economic, and religious influences that led up to this historic moment
and beyond. Readers are led by a brilliant renaissance man and writer
who has been at the vanguard of the city's struggles for more than
twenty years. Portocarero's anti-tourist guide to Havana examines the
built environment of "the most sensual ruin on the planet" why are large
parts of the city so neglected, and what changes may we see over the
coming years? Examining all things Cubania--racial issues, la
revolución, baseball, Hemingway, communism, synagogues, Santeria,
Cimarron culture, and much more--Portocarero overturns every stone in
his endeavor to bring us inside the city he loves.
Illustrated with original photographs, this is a unique and essential
account of Havana's history, its present, and what its future may hold.
Herman Portocarero is a Belgian-born writer and diplomat of Spanish
and Portuguese descent. He has published more than twenty works of
fiction and nonfiction, including the Hercule Poirot Prize-winning crime
novel New Yorkse NachtenNew York Nights). Between 1995 and 2017, he was
ambassador in Havana for his native country and later for the European
Union, where he developed a deep professional and personal relationship
with Cuba, Havana, and her people.
