The Boy Who Said No: An Escape To Freedom

by Patti Sheehy

Overview

As a boy Frank Mederos' grandfather teaches him to fish, to navigate the seas, and to think for himself, much needed skills under the new Castro regime.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608090808
Publisher:	Oceanview Publishing
Publication date:	06/04/2013
Series:	Boy Who Said No Novels Series
Pages:	330
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Patti Sheehy is a graduate of Rider University and has spent her career in public relations and marketing as an executive in marketing and communications, primarily in the health care industry. She lives with her husband, Robert Hunter, in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. The Boy Who Said No is her first novel and while writing it, she worked closely with the real-life protagonist, Frank Mederos.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2013
Young Frank Mederos is not sure how to react when Cuba's dictator Batista is overthrown by Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries. In the years that follow, Frank is given unrequested, unwanted assignments by the Communist regime; Frank becomes increasingly disenchanted by the increasingly doctrinaire Cuban government intervening in nearly every aspect of Cuban life without regard for the desires or needs of individuals. When Frank's one true love Magda and her family flee Cuba for the safety, Frank resolves to follow them but escape from a regime determined to keep its people imprisoned will prove to be difficult and dangerous. Based on a real person, Mederos's actual story contains all the elements for a riveting tale of escape from an oppressive, regimented society, but Sheehy's execution never fully meets its potential. The story is flattened by an overly simple plot, leaving readers longing for the richness that evokes thrill. (June)

Publishers Weekly

The Boy Who Said No is a powerful fictionalized version of a true story and one that stays with the reader for a long time. The book concludes with the veiled promise of a sequel. Let’s hope so.”
— New York Journal of Books

“This mix of thriller and history offers a fascinating but depressing look at life under Castro's totalitarian regime... a tense and exhilarating read.”
— Library Journal

" The Boy Who Said No will grab you by the lapels and won't let you go until you finish the last sentence. Your pulse will race as Frank Mederos battles to escape Cuba—amid treachery, suspicion and suspense. Bravo Patti Sheehy!"
— Todd Buchholz, author of The Castro Gene

" The Boy Who Said No is a beautifully written story of love, friendship and adventure. The descriptions of Cuban life under Fidel Castro, as seen through the eyes of a maturing young man, are vivid and paint a clear picture of the beauty of the country, and the desperation of her people. The drama of the challenges Frank Mederos faced in his attempts to escape Cuba resonates with an underlying theme of human experience that transcends culture, country and politics. Patti Sheehy captures the passion and spirit of the times and brings it to life."
— Jonathan L. Lewis

From the Publisher

This debut novel is the fictionalized story of Frank Medero's thrilling real-life escape from Castro's Cuba (with some names changed to protect those still in the country). Medero is a young boy when Castro comes to power but soon realizes that life has become ever more oppressive and dangerous as a criminal dictatorship under Bautista is replaced by a political one led by Castro. In part to gain freedom and in part to follow the girl he worships, Medero plots to escape. But now that he is in the army, fleeing his island nation is even more dangerous. VERDICT This mix of thriller and history offers a fascinating but depressing look at life under Castro's totalitarian regime. Even though the chase Sheehy describes is exciting, the suspense is lessened by Medero's success (as he is the novel's narrator). Despite that minor flaw, this is a tense and exhilarating read.—Robert Conroy, Warren, MI

Library Journal

Read More