NPR's Book of the Day

In 'Keeper of My Kin,' Ada Ferrer struggles with being her mother's "chosen one"

June 10, 2026·8 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

At the start of the Cuban Revolution, Adela Ferrer’s husband made an impossible decision. Her husband had fled Havana for New York, and she planned to take her two children and join him. But instead, she was forced to bring only her daughter, leaving her 9-year-old son behind. That daughter – Ada Ferrer – is out with a new memoir called Keeper of My Kin. In today’s episode, she speaks with NPR’s Adrian Florido about the weight of family separation in Cuba and the difficulty of being “the chosen one.”To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookofthedaySee pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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