Michael Reid has written a powerful story for our time. Based on the events of Roberto Ramos's astonishing life in-and eventual escape from-the island of Cuba, The Painting, is a fictionalized account of Roberto Ramos's life from 1982 until 1992.

Growing up under the Castro regime, Ramos learns over time how Fidel has betrayed the rev- olution. This is the story of Ramos' outrage at this betrayal, and the extreme price he pays for expressing it. The brashness of his defiance is breathtaking and fuels a plot that grips the read- er in continuous suspense. The tension mounts up until the last page, where the suspense finally yields to human triumph over oppression.

There is a crucial artistic element to this story as well. Along the way, and through the moment of his escape to the United States, Ramos is drawn to the works of the great Cuban masters- especially the tradition of pre-revolution Cuban painting-as an outlet for his emotions and his growing frustrations with the Castro government, a system he finds increasingly intolerable as the years pass and his distress grows.

In a journey that is terrifying, yet also a triumph of the human spirit, Ramos reveals the power of one individual to fight back against an unjust political system. In doing so, he rescues his own identity, and the artistic heritage that defines him.

The story of Roberto Ramos is a compelling personal tale, but the power of this book lies just as much in the telling of it. Reid captures the de- tails of a remarkable odyssey and weaves them into an expansive drama, creating a parable for our times. It's Reid's keen awareness of detail that shows us how to honestly value the richness of life, even amidst brutal struggles. The result is a story for every person who treasures freedom...and life itself.