Celia Sanchez is the missing actor of the Cuban Revolution. Although not as well known in the English-speaking world as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, Sanchez played a pivotal role in launching the revolution and administering the revolutionary state. She joined the clandestine 26th of July Movement and went on to choose the landing site of the Granma and fight with the rebels in the Sierra Maestra. She collected the documents that would form the official archives of the revolution, and, after its victory, launched numerous projects that enriched the lives of many Cubans, from parks to literacy programs to helping develop the Cohiba cigar brand. All the while, she maintained a close relationship with Fidel Castro that lasted until her death in 1980. The product of ten years of original research, this biography draws on interviews with Sanchez's friends, family, and comrades in the rebel army, along with countless letters and documents. Biographer Nancy Stout was initially barred from the official archives, but, in a remarkable twist, was granted access by Fidel Castro himself, impressed as he was with Stout's project and aware that Sanchez deserved a worthy biography. This is the extraordinary story of an extraordinary woman who exemplified the very best values of the Cuban Revolution: selfless dedication to the people, courage in the face of grave danger, and the desire to transform society.
Nancy Stout is a writer and photographer living in New York City, currently employed by Fordham University as a Reference Librarian. Her books include Great American Thoroughbred Racetracks, Homestretch, The West Side YMCA: A Social and Architectural Retrospective, Havana/La Habana (with architect Jorge Rigau, who wrote the text), and Habanos: the Story of the Havana Cigar (author and photographer). Alice Walker is an author, poet, and activist; she won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for her novel The Color Purple.
"Engrossing, endearing, and eloquent, this sympathetic and superbly crafted portrait of the & True Flower of the Revolution unfolds in magnificent detail. . . so intimate is Stouts well-informed tour de force that the description of Sanchezs death brings the reader to tears, inspired by a deep sense of love and loss."--Christopher P. Baker, author, Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba "I love this book. . . an insightful, mature, and sometimes droll exploration of a profoundly liberated, adventuresome and driven personality. I love the life of Celia Sanchez, a life that was singular, sui generis, and true to its time of revolution and change in Cuban society."--Alice Walker, author, The Color Purple; winner, Pulitzer Prize "In this impressive biography Stout utilizes interviews, Cuban archives (to which she was granted special access by Castro himself), letters, and other documents to provide an accurate portrait of Sanchez, who ran the planning organization of the revolution after the death of Pais in 1957 Stouts biography tells her story as well as offering insights into other revolutionaries and their contributions Highly recommended for readers and scholars of Cuban history."--Library Journal "In this riveting and eloquent portrait, Celia Sanchez finally emerges as a major star in Cubas revolutionary drama: a political animal, a management consultant, a historian, and of course, a confidante to Fidel Castro. . . her legacy, especially for women and girls education and health, and as the chief archivist of the insurgency, comes alive in Stouts exhaustively researched biography."--Julia Sweig, Nelson and David Rockefeller Senior Fellow and Director, Latin America Studies and Global Brazil Initiative, Council on Foreign Relations "This excellent book tells us about Celia Sanchez, an early leader of the Cuban Revolution and a fascinating character. . . as Stout movingly describes her, Celia was totally devoted to Fidel and to the Cuban Revolution. And she loved and was loved by the Cuban people. I was in Havana at the time of her death in January of 1980 and well remember the deep sadness it occasioned."--Wayne S. Smith, senior fellow and director of the Cuba Project, Center for International Policy; former head, U.S. Interests Section in Havana
