1)

WhatinspiredyoutowriteaboutthistopicandCastro'sattemptedassassination?
Twothings.Ourolderdaughter,Alexandra,now18,hascysticfibrosis,sowhenshewas
youngweusedtotakeherandheryoungersisteroutofschoolandgotoMiamiBeachfora
monthinFebruary.KidswithCFcangetreallysickiftheyhaveanordinarycold,sowewere
tryingtogetherawayfromcoldandfluseason.ItaughtinawritersconferencerunbyDennis
Lehane,inSt.Petersburg,FL,attheendofJanuary,andthenwewenttoMiamiBeachfor
February.AtonepointIwasWriterinResidenceatMiamiDadeColleges(2004,Ithinkitwas)
andonthosevisitstoFLIcameincontactwithalotofCubanAmericansandheardtheirfamily
storiesaboutbeingforcedoutofCuba.Also,IhadlivedandworkedintheformerUSSRfora
totalof28monthsbetween1977and1990andsolifeundercommunismwasfamiliartome.I
hadneverbeentoCubawhenIwroteFidelsLastDays,(ButIhavebeensincethen),soIdida
lotofresearch,talkedtoalotofCubanAmericans,andevenhadoneofthemreadthewhole
manuscriptandcheckforerrors

2)
Whataresomeofthesources,ifany,thatyouusedtohelpwritethisbook?
ThoseCubanAmericans,asmentioned,andsomeonlineandbookresearch.OnethingI
didwaslookatphotosofHavanaonlinesoIcouldgetabettersenseofthecityformy
descriptions.

3)
WhatdoyouthinkwouldhappenifCastrowasactuallyassassinated?
Idontknow.IdoknowthatthereweremultipleattemptsbytheCIAtokillhim,buthe
seemedtohaveninelives.Cubaisanunusualplacebecause,ontheonehand,youhavevery
realrestrictionsontravelandfreespeech(whenIwenttherein2013Imetamanwhodbeen
jailedfortryingtoleavethecountryonaraft).Inthatsense,itisaterribleplace.Ontheother
hand,thoughthestandardoflivingislow,thepeopleImetseemedfairlycontent.Therewas
littlecrime,verylittledrugtraffic,decentanduniversalhealthcareandeducation.Soits
complicated,andItriedtodojusticetothosecomplicationsinthenovel.
4)
WhatwouldyouchangeinthestoryifCastrotheassassinationwassuccessful?
Well,thestorywouldhaveendedwithhisassassination,butIthoughtitwouldbeamuch
moreinterestingbooktohavetheattemptfail.Strangelyenough,afterIwroteithedidseemto
sufferfromsomeseriousandmysteriousstomachailment,whichwouldhavefitinwiththeplot.
5)
Inyouopinion,wouldCastro'sassassinationhavebeenatragedy,oracelebration?
AsIsayabove,itsnotblackandwhite.Idespisesomeofthethingshedid(jailing
dissidents,allowingtorture,keepingpeoplefromleavingthecountry).IamnotafanofCastro
orcommunism,andIvelivedinacommunistsocietymorethanprobably99%ofAmericansso
IknowfromwhenceIspeak.Ontheotherhand,ifyoulookatthesituationonotherCaribbean
islands,Cubahassomeadvantages.Thereisnotsuchavastdistancebetweenrichandpoor,
thereismuchbetterhealthcare,amuchbettereducationalsystem,lesscrime,lessdrugtraffic,
muchmuchhigherliteracy.IwanttoseetheCubansfreetospeakandtoleave,butifCubagoes

backtowhatiswaspreCastro,whichwasviolent,Mafiainfested,corruptascouldbe,andrun
byadictatorwhomakesCastrolookfairlynice(Batista),Iwillbesaddened.Whatattractedme
tothestorywasthismoralcomplexity.TheCubanAmericansImetsaweventsinCubaasall
bad,andIunderstandthat:nobodywantstheirlandandhometakenaway.ButCubawasnta
paradiseformostCubansinBatistasdays.Itwouldhavebeeneasiertowriteastoryinwhich
Castrodidonlyevilthings,andthebraveandwiseAmericansweregoingintheretokillhimand
returnthenationtothegreatplaceithasoncebeen.Butthatwouldhavebeenanicelie.