Description

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Osvaldito's life begins with a heartbreaking split when his father is not allowed to leave Cuba with his mother and him due to his status as a political prisoner. Later, abuse, the fear of being different, the discovery of his own homosexuality, the devastation of AIDS, and difficult family relationships mark the milestones of his journey. His dogs, his four-legged companions, always occupy a prominent place in the house of La Campina, the kingdom and refuge of the adult Osvaldito. To Kill a Cockroach is a poignant story that chronicles the experiences of Osvaldito, a Cuban-American artist and writer, traveling from his native Cuba through to his childhood and adulthood experiences in Miami, Florida. Osvaldito provides a unique perspective of the immigrant experience, as he narrates a childhood rife with challenges and loss, uncertainty and abandonment. His life journey teaches us the art of finding boundless joy in a world of relentless pain. Osvaldito's love and longing for his mother, a "Cuban goddess," is one of the guiding themes of this book, but so is his love of living creatures, especially dogs, and how such love saves in difficult times. Last but not least, this tale is a testament to the power of art and literature and of finding salvation and self-love through the transcendence of artistic beauty.