90 Miles to Havana

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2010

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-8

Chapters 9-17

Chapters 18-26

Chapters 27-33

Chapters 34-41

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Gold Swallow Pin

A recurring symbol in the novel is Julian’s mother’s pin of a golden swallow with ruby wings. When the boys take a risk by retrieving the pin from the Garcia’s abandoned house, the family is thrown into a chain of events that leads to Julian, Gordo and Alquilino having to survive on their own in America. Their mother hides the pin in Julian’s suitcase before they leave, and he takes this to be a sign of trust and adulthood. He is being given an adult responsibility, as his mother plans to sell it once they are all reunited to start their new life in America.

The pin follows Julian on his journey to and through Miami to remind him of home and to never lose hope. In times of fear or sadness, all Julian has to do is feel the outline of it in the hidden compartment of his suitcase. When he decides to pawn it for money to help Tomas rescue his family, he even senses his mother’s essence still on it: “I pick up my mother’s golden swallow and then press it against my cheek. I can smell her perfume, see her teardrop face floating above me, hear her voice when she asked me to guard it for the family” (251). It means more than its physical presence in Julian’s life; as a symbol of family, the absence of it allows Julian to reunite Tomas with his parents. When Tomas returns the pin to Julian, his mother’s faith in Julian is vindicated, and they can finally bring their father to America.

Drawing Book

Another important symbol is Julian’s drawing book. Drawing is Julian’s hobby, but it is also his way of coping with stress. Whenever he gets upset or scared, he draws an exaggerated version of what he is feeling or what he sees: “I’m afraid to stop drawing. Every time I put my pencil down, my thoughts get jumbled up. I get sad and angry at the same time” (130). His drawing is not just a distraction; it is therapeutic.

When Caballo takes his drawing book, Julian is distraught because without his book, he has fewer reminders of home. Julian then draws on any piece of paper he can find because it is how he finds comfort in chaos. The book becomes a symbol of losing his home and family to a ruthless dictator, just as Julian lost it to the ruthless Caballo. Julian makes a strategic sacrifice—much like the one his parents made when they sent him to America—to save his brothers as he gives up his book when Caballo demands it. Even Caballo knows how valuable the book is.

The book represents drawing, which is part of who Julian is just like his family is. When he travels to Connecticut to his family at the end of the novel, Julian learns Caballo has returned his book to his brothers, which makes the family reunion even more fitting. Julian now has all his memories of home in one place.

Boats

The novel begins on a boat, and the action at the end takes place on a boat as well. The symbol of a boat and of seafaring in general is important because it represents how Julian navigates his way through migration, independence, and survival. When we meet Julian, he is trying to capture a big fish to bring his family luck. When he fails, he feels like the loss of his home is his fault because he is not a hero. He redeems himself on Tomas’s boat by actually becoming a hero in many ways. He pawns his family treasure for money for the trip, he doctors the leaky boat so it can make the journey, and he helps people escape a country in turmoil. Julian’s character development is made clear through the use of boats.

Boats also represent connection and division, as they literally bring people from one place to another. They are a mode of escape but can also bring hope at starting anew in another place. We see these connections throughout the novel, especially in the restaurant called “Pirate Angel’s.” The menu of the restaurant is a map of Miami, which Tomas uses to guide Julian to his boat. The dishwasher and owner of the restaurant also fund the rescue trip to Havana, so in many ways, the restaurant is another “boat” leading to freedom. The name also foreshadows Julian’s and Tomas’s trip, as they have to pass through a “pirate’s channel” to get to the dock; thus, they become the “angels” who save the people waiting.