A powerful and unflinching memoir, Before Night Falls traces the extraordinary life of Cuban writer Reinaldo Arenas—from a childhood of poverty in rural Cuba to his role as a young revolutionary, and ultimately, his persecution under Fidel Castro’s regime.
Arenas vividly recounts his struggles as an openly gay man and a defiant writer in a country that sought to silence him. Censored, imprisoned, and forced to flee, he reveals the brutal reality of life under Castro’s rule while celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. His exile in the United States gave him freedom, but his battle with AIDS added a tragic urgency to his final years.
Raw, poetic, and deeply moving, Before Night Falls is not just a memoir—it is a testament to the courage of a man who refused to be silenced. Perfect for readers of The Diary of Anne Frank or I Am Malala, this book is an unforgettable portrait of survival, identity, and the unbreakable power of literature.
