VIVIANA MENDIOLA Viviana Mendiola is a junior at Florida International University. She is pursuing a major in International Relations and a minor in English. She enjoys reading and writing and is currently a member of the Free Cuba Foundation and Amnesty International. She hopes the knowledge gained in her field of study will help her contribute to making changes in the international system.

Review: La Nada Cotidiana

E lla viene de una isla que quiso construir el paraiso . . . (She comes from an island that wanted to build paradise . . .) " This line is at the beginning and the end of the justly critically acclaimed novel, La Nada Cotidiana. It is also an appropriate description of its author, Zoe Valdes. This work reflects on life in present day Cuba through Yocandra, its protagonist. Yocandra writes in order to escape her hated life in Cuba. She expresses herself in the incisive, sarcastic manner which is characteristic of Cubans on the island. Yocandra writes about the mundane as well as about the major joys and problems in her life. Her pen is her sword as she puts words down on paper which she cannot verbally express, lest she be seen as subversive by the government. Valdes is truly a voice of her people. Through this novel, she captures their soul and captivates readers with a sense of urgency and impotence. She will leave you wide eyed with some very explicit sex scenes and Yocandra's (often hilarious) insights. Yocandra is street smart and foul mouthed. You will be let in on the inner workings of the often mysterious island of Cuba.

La Nada Cotidiana by Zoe Valdes Buy it here.