Letters from Cuba

This summary includes the following letters: “Agramonte, March 1, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 2, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 7, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 10, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 14, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 17, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 21, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 24, 1938,” “Agramonte, March 25, 1938,” and “Agramonte, March 28, 1938.”

Señora Graciela invites Papa and Esther to dinner again—Esther thinks she feels guilty about the way Señor Eduardo treated them. Esther learns about Juan Chang’s history. Juan came to Cuba by himself 10 years prior. He married a Black lady, but she died in childbirth. Francisco, Juan’s nephew, came to Cuba to keep him company. Señora Graciela, a Catholic, purchases the rest of Papa’s statues so they can watch over Emilia. She gives Esther another of Emilia’s old books: Simple Verses by the poet José Martí. Esther enjoys the poems. She relates to Martí’s words: Though she is from Poland, Esther feels like Cuba could be home. Esther recognizes the power of words and books.

In Havana, Papa and Esther pick up sandals to peddle. They visit a fabric shop owned by Rifka Rubenstein, another Polish Jew. Esther eagerly gets fabric and sewing materials to sew dresses for herself, Ma Felipa, Manuela, and Señora Graciela. Mama—impatiently—taught Esther to sew, but Esther is excited to see what she can sew on her own. Papa and Esther visit a synagogue, where Esther meets a mother and daughter who recently arrived in Cuba from Germany. They talk about Hitler and his brutal treatment of Jews. The daughter reassures her mother that Cuba will be a fresh start. Esther worries about her family. She knows that Mama’s few letters distress Papa; he does not let her read them.

Esther successfully makes a light, pretty dress for herself. She misses Mama and wishes they had a less contentious relationship. Esther and Papa sell sandals much more quickly than the idols. Papa gives a pair of sandals to Manuela because of Ma Felipa’s kindness when Señor Eduardo was cruel. Manuela happily declares she and Esther are “amigas,” and Esther is glad to have a friend. Manuela finished elementary school, but there is no secondary school in the village. Manuela wants to be a teacher to ensure that all the descendants of enslaved people can read and write. Ma Felipa was once enslaved. Manuela shows Esther a tall ceiba tree surrounded by offerings of flowers and candles and encircled with a chain that once belonged to an enslaved person. The tree holds the suffering of formerly enslaved people: It sometimes sheds tears. When Esther brings Manuela the dress she has sewn for her, Señor Eduardo follows Esther and intimidates her. Señor Eduardo frightens Esther.

Esther experiments with dress design and gets faster at sewing. She makes Ma Felipa a blue dress. She makes a black dress for Señora Graciela, who is so thrilled with Esther’s talent that she gives Esther an old sewing machine. Esther realizes she can now make and sell dresses, earning more money and reuniting the family faster. News from Europe is dire: The Nazis control Austria and are mistreating the Jews there.

Esther and Papa learn about Mario José’s history. Mario lost his wife to a heart attack, and Ma Felipa acts as Manuela’s mother. Esther knows she is lucky to have Mama and Bubbe in her life, even though they are far away. Esther practices on the sewing machine all night and has mastered it by morning.

Esther turns 12 on Purim, March 17. She feels like she has grown a lot since leaving Poland. She and Papa take three sample dresses to Rifka Rubenstein’s shop. Rifka laments the situation in Austria, but Papa tells her to have faith. Rifka’s husband was a peddler for years before he could afford the store and their apartment above the shop. He fell from a ladder and died. Rifka has family in Poland, but they will not come to Cuba. Rifka applied for a visa to New York, and if she makes it there, she will send for her family. Rifka loves Esther’s dresses and offers to sell them in her store. They immediately get 10 orders for dresses. Papa suggests Esther is too young to fulfill the orders, but Esther spiritedly disagrees. Papa concedes they can work together.

Esther and Papa work nonstop, with Esther sewing and designing and Papa cutting fabric. They deliver the dresses to Rifka, who pays them without taking a commission for their first sale and orders more dresses. Rifka does not want people to know a Jewish refugee is making the dresses and will tell customers they are created by a New York designer. Esther reluctantly agrees, just happy to earn money quickly.

Home from Rifka’s shop, Papa and Esther are surprised by Señor Eduardo and a policeman at the door. They burst inside, and Eduardo threatens to tell the authorities that Esther is working illegally: Papa will go to jail, and they will be deported to Poland. Eduardo wants all the Jews gone. He roughly takes the money they just earned. Esther defends Papa, and Eduardo and the policeman leave. Papa is “broken” by the incident. Esther finds comfort in thinking of all the kind people in Cuba.

Esther gets ointment from Doctor Pablo for Papa’s bruises. Francisco calls Esther into Juan Chang’s shop. Juan gives her a tin of sour cherry tea imported from Poland. Esther knows Juan Chang empathizes with her about being far from home. Francisco gives her an exquisite drawing he made of a palm tree. Papa feels better after praying. He enjoys the familiar tea but warns Esther not to get too close to people, as they will eventually move to Havana to be among other Jews. He cautions her not to forget she is a Jew. Doctor Pablo checks on Papa and is outraged when Esther tells him what happened. He urges Esther to keep sewing and vows to keep Cuba free from the Nazis.

When Esther takes a new wraparound-style dress to Manuela, she finds a crowd of people at Ma Felipa’s house. Mario José and two other men are drumming, and women are singing the Yemayá song. Manuela urges Esther to dance with them. Ma Felipa speaks in an African language and becomes Yemayá. People place offerings at the ceiba tree. Papa later explains that this is part of Ma Felipa’s religion. He warns Esther again to remember she is a Jew. Esther knows she will never forget her religion but is glad she heard the drums.