Sometimes I Would Like to Sit Down and Cry

About the Book

It’s no wonder that Amarilis Presilla has titled her memoir “Sometimes I Would Like to Sit Down and Cry.” Reminiscing can be painful when she thinks back on all the hardships she has known—not just within her family but for the Cuban people as well. Since arriving in the United States from Cuba seven years ago, Amarilis has written it all down, reliving both the good and the bad.

Her idyllic childhood in the riverside village of Mayari was not to last. A powerful flood laid waste to her beloved town, yet this was nothing compared to the coming upheaval of Castro’s revolution. What follows is an epic tale of love, family, struggle, self-improvement, and rebellion. Finally escaping and reuniting with her family, Amarilis Presilla now shares her triumphant story with you.

—Jack Silbert, The Hudson Reporter

About the Author

Born and raised in Mayari, Cuba, Amarilis Presilla has been a teacher—specializing in languages and literature—at every level from primary school to university. In the United States, she has taught Spanish and had been employed in a medical office. Amarilis is also a writer of fiction and poetry. She lives in Weehawken, New Jersey, with her architect son, Gustavo Diez Presilla, whose illustrations appear in this book.