90 Miles to Havana

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