“Flor Fernandez Barrios ushers readers into startling proximity to a Cuba seen through the eyes of a woman whose childhood was both shaped and shattered by the beautiful island. The indelible quality of Barrios’s observations, specific and true, make Blessed by Thunder an important chronicle of the Cuban experience.” — The Bloomsbury Review   “Fernandez’s book is a visually rich portrait of a tumultuous era. Fernandez knows how to craft a compelling narrative best of all are [her] enchanting cast of characters.” — The Miami Herald   “Flor Fernandez Barrios reminds us what we can never forget, that ties to one’s homeland endure. When she calls on her grandmother for strength in America, the invisible bonds of all our ancestors appear. This book holds healing words as we begin to restore our relations with Cuba.” —Terry Tempest Williams   “A stunning portrait of what binds life together despite our terrible tests. It is gorgeous in the telling. I could not put it down.” —Joy Harjo