The Voice of the Turtle (An Anthology of Cuban Literature)

Cuba’s history of political upheaval and diverse ethnic heritage have been a source of inspiration for a remarkable body of literature in the twentieth century; however, this work has remained largely undiscovered by American readers. Now, in this rich anthology of Cuban writers, the work of such legends as Reinaldo Arenas, Guillermo Cabrera Infante, and Calvert Casey is juxtaposed with that of a younger generation of writers such as Senel Paz, Zoé Valdís, and Jesús Vega to create a rich portrait of modern Cuban literature.

The Voice of the Turtle showcases a variety of styles – from Cabrera Infante’s updated Aesop’s fable in the title story, to the lush creation myth of Lydia Cabrera’s “Daddy Turtle and Daddy Tiger”– from the magic-realist “The Night the Dead Rose from the Grave” by Lino Nov’s Calvo, to Alfonso Hernández Catá’s tale of war and heroism among the meek, “I Sent Quinine.” The writers collected here draw on many styles – Cuba’s rich storytelling tradition, Kafka and Joyce, the best of post-modern fiction – and their stories range from the political to the personal, deeply influenced by their embedded homeland or their experiences of exile. As diverse and fascinating as Cuba itself, The Voice of the Turtle is the definitive anthology of Cuban fiction from this century.