The marks of birth

the long version

The Marks of Birth by Pablo Medina introduces a vibrant new voice in Cuban-American fiction. Set in an imaginary island in the Caribbean, The Marks of Birth follows the life of Felicia Turner and the men in her family: her son Fernando, her brother Antonio, and, above all, her grandson Anton. Tossed about by political events over which they have no control, Anton and his parents are forced to flee the island by boat. Their arrival in Key West, and later in New York City, marks the beginning of the marvels and horrors they will encounter in el Norte and Anton's realization that his personal destiny can only be "fulfilled in blood." With a remarkable command of narrative, at once picaresque and poignant, magical and memorable, The Marks of Birth is a powerful portrait of a people in exile and a paean to human folly.