March 2015 Host:  Stephanie

Pig's Foot:  A Novel by Carlos Acosta

Summary

One day Oscar Kortico wakes to find himself utterly alone in the world. As the sole descendant of his family line he is not sure what to do or where he should go, but in the midst of this uncertainty, he holds fast to what his grandfather always told him: 'No man knows who he is until he knows his past, the history of his country.  As he sets out to find the lost village of Pata de Puerco and the meaning of the magical pig's-foot amulet he has inherited, the search for his country's hidden history becomes entangled with his search for the truth about himself.  Through a vivid, if not entirely reliable, retelling of the stories of his ancestors we live the tumultuous history of Cuba through Oscar's eyes, from the arrival of slaves through the wars of independence, to Bacardi rum, dictatorship, revolution and, finally, to a freedom of sorts. (this review was taken from goodreads.com) Only a few of us actually finished the book, it was very unusual and although funny at times, a bit of a letdown in the historical development of Cuba.  The characters were very unusual, and the ending was hackneyed

Menu

Mojitos

Crostini w/Goat Cheese, Fig Jam, Prosciutto, & Basil

Cuban Salad

Cuban Seasoned Pork

Baked Cinnamon Apples

Vanilla Ice Cream w/Cinnamon Churro Chips