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Aaron Landau
Isabel’s father and Teresa’s husband. Prior to the beginning of the novel, Geraldo tried several times to escape Cuba and take a boat to Miami. But when he was caught, he was jailed for a year due to Castro’s policies. At the beginning of the story, Geraldo becomes involved with riots in Havana and a policeman threatens to find him and jail him. After Castro announces that he is lifting the ban on people leaving Cuba, Geraldo is adamant that he must leave the very next day. This resolution is what prompts Isabel to assemble the Castillos and the Fernandezes and take a boat to Miami together. Geraldo often gets into arguments with Isabel’s grandfather Lito, who believes that Geraldo is prioritizing himself over his family. But Geraldo proves his devotion to Teresa and Isabel by refusing to leave her side, even when a Coast Guard boat threatens to take them back to Cuba. Ultimately, they are able to make it to Miami together and start a new life as a family.
Geraldo Fernandez Quotes in Refugee
The Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Geraldo Fernandez or refer to Geraldo Fernandez. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Isabel: Outside Havana, Cuba – 1994 (1)
Quotes
Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside Cuban music that everybody seemed to hear except her. An irregular rhythm that lay over the top of the regular beat, like a heartbeat beneath the skin. Try as she might, she had never heard it, never felt it. She listened now, intently, trying to hear the heartbeat of Cuba in her own music.
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Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
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Geraldo Fernandez Quotes in Refugee
The Refugee quotes below are all either spoken by Geraldo Fernandez or refer to Geraldo Fernandez. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Isabel: Outside Havana, Cuba – 1994 (1)
Quotes
Isabel was listening for the clave underneath the music, the mysterious hidden beat inside Cuban music that everybody seemed to hear except her. An irregular rhythm that lay over the top of the regular beat, like a heartbeat beneath the skin. Try as she might, she had never heard it, never felt it. She listened now, intently, trying to hear the heartbeat of Cuba in her own music.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
