Cuban Son Rising - by Charles Gomez

Book Synopsis

Winner, Best Autobiography, International Latino Book Awards

"... a gut-wrenching memoir that captures the rollercoaster of horror and hope."

-Shelley Ross, former executive producer of Good Morning America

As a journalist he dug up the truth. But deep inside, he hid a life-shattering secret.

CBS News reporter Charles Gomez was fearless when facing down dictators. Earning an Emmy and an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Latin correspondent and son of a Cuban immigrant seemed on top of the world. But the terror of exposing his sexuality and AIDS diagnosis led him down a dark path of drugs and depression that nearly destroyed him. Cuban Son Rising is an honest and raw memoir detailing Gomez's lifelong battle to overcome stigma and self-loathing. Meticulously researched, Gomez's story takes you from interviews with despots and the front lines of civil wars to the silent struggles he faced seeking his father's acceptance. And after a lifetime of anxiety and regret, Gomez embarks on an emotional journey with his father to his homeland. Will Gomez finally reconcile with the man he's looked up to for his whole life? Or will disclosing his sexuality and the shame and stigma of AIDS cause his father to reject him? Cuban Son Rising is a testament to survival and the triumph of hope over fear.

Review Quotes

"The principal lesson of Charles Gomez's beautiful and moving new memoir is that no matter how many times we fall, we can rise again."

-Forbes Magazine

The confluence of sickness and war, Cuban views of masculinity and American views on Latinos, and the tension between public and private tragedies make Gomez's memoir a memorable and thought-provoking read. A well-constructed and open-hearted account of family, journalism, and AIDS.

- KIRKUS REVIEWS

"Charles Gomez was young, gifted, Cuban, gay AND a closeted CBS network correspondent at the start of the AIDS epidemic which ultimately would ensnare him as well. Now a long-term survivor, the author has written a gut-wrenching memoir that captures the rollercoaster of horror and hope. From the homophobic corridors of network news, through the hospitals and health scares, this is a unique three-decade HIV journey to hell and back again."

-Shelley Ross, Former executive producer of Good Morning America

"Cuban Son Rising is a story of monumental personal courage. Not only did Chuck Gomez venture into Central American battle zones in his years as a TV network news correspondent, he also faced his own personal battles with HIV infection and a failing heart. He lays out his compelling memoir from the standpoint of one who is all too keenly aware of his own mortality, and he weaves an unforgettable tale of the people and places he's encountered in a remarkable journalistic career."

-George Lewis, Former NBC News correspondent

"Inspiring, thrilling and enriching! A coming-of age-memoir like few I have read! Charles (Chuck) Gomez is courageous, honest and determined. A man whose life is marked by tribulations and challenges that few can overcome. Cuban Son Rising is a testament to Mr. Gomez's will to live and a man's resilience in the face of death. A must read!"

-Conchita Sarnoff, Author, TrafficKing, and executive director, Alliance to Rescue Victims of Trafficking

"A revelatory, riveting account, by a seasoned television correspondent who takes you on an episodic journey through Cuba and war-torn Latin America, as he waged a more private struggle with his own mortality. We can all find strength in his courage and insights. His honest rendering of his monumental challenges is fascinating and inspiring."

-Anne-Marie O'Connor, Author, The Lady in Gold: The Extraordinary Tale of Gustav Klimt's Masterpiece, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer

"As the father of a gay son, my heart ached as I read each page. I was drawn into his world, both as a father and as my father's son. I believe reading his story has helped me understand the mysteries and complexities of homosexuality. It has given me as a reader an opportunity to see a world I would never have known before. A must read."

-Jeff Shaw, Author, Who I Am, The Man Behind the Badge

"While the treatment of HIV is much improved, the stigma still prevails more deadly than the illness. Charles's courageous story will give others both the hope and the roadmap to survive HIV and its stigma."

-Eric Sawyer, AIDS activist