Summary Of In Cuban I Was A German Shepherd

I picked the short story "In Cuba I was a German Shepherd" by Ana Menéndez because I was able to connect with the protagonist (Maximo) and feel his pain over how his life had changed after fleeing from Cuba.

The story is about Maximo, one of four older men who gather in Domino Park in Little Havana in Miami to play dominoes. As a result of the Cuban revolution, Maximo, then a university professor, fled from Cuba with his wife and two daughters. He struggled to start a new life in Miami and ended up running a restaurant with his wife for many years before she died and he was left alone. He feels bitter about how his life has turned out, and he vents by telling political jokes about Cuba to his Domino Park companions.

I liked the story because