In The House Next Door: My Cuban Family, Dr. Alberto Ràfols explores the extraordinary and eventful history of his maternal Cuban family in a historical memoir about ancestors, immigration, identity, and belonging. One of Ràfols’s aunts once remarked, “Our family never talked about the past.” The House Next Door aims to illuminate and answer the many questions that have long remained in a family’s history.
The House Next Door includes stories from the lives of five related families: the colonial Hechavarrías and Cos; the Cuban Fernández Fernández and García Fernández; and ultimately the author’s immediate family, the Catalan/Cuban Ràfols García. A follow-up to the author’s 2021 memoir about his Catalan family ancestry and history, Illuminating Family, together these books are different but complementary halves of an intertwined story.
What this author said about working with us...
My writing under serious health condition was challenging and only possible thanks to the expertise and patience of Luminare staff. Ultimately I am very pleased with my latest Luminare publication The House Next Door. From the beautiful cover design by Nina Leis to the final publication steps led by Caitlin and Kim the knowledge of the entire Luminare staff made the whole experience personally rewarding. Thanks also to Luigi for his expertise and work on my website. Delighted to see that high standards of my last Luminare publication Illuminating Family five years ago were again reached with this publication. Alberto P. Ràfols