Maria N P Hevia

The Road to Happiness Maria N P Hevia

Tacha's childhood was as unique as her name. "Tacha" was just a nickname used by her classmates. The young girl's real name was Maria Stanna, named after Stalin.



Tacha's name was just one sign of the changing social norms of her native Cuba. Socialism and communism were becoming more and more prominent in society. The priest refused to baptize her with the name Stanna, so Tacha's mother found it prudent to add the "Maria" at the beginning. Maria Stanna represented both the traditional and the modern in Cuban society.



This society was not long to last. In this bittersweet coming-of-age story, young Tacha recounts the glamour of life in a Cuba before Castro but also the underlying tensions that began to eat away at the culture. She looks back at an unhappy childhood in Cuba and the big move to America. There, after a long journey full of pain and isolation, Tacha finds her first chance at a happy life.



Author Maria N. P. Hevia uses her own childhood in Cuba as inspiration for her novella. Her work provides a new perspective on a country steeped in mystery.