It was not until I retired in Portland, Oregon in 2009 that I decided to take on writing my paternal family history. I knew by then that my collection of heavily embroidered family anecdotes and miscellaneous documents would not be enough to compose a serious and credible narrative. It was clear that in-depth research was necessary. What was not so clear was why I wanted to embark on such an ambitious project in the first place. What was I looking for? Who was the intended audience? What attracted me to the project?

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Like most family histories, this one originally aimed to unearth and bring to light the unusual lives, challenges, and successes of my paternal ancestors and the turbulent times they lived through. Yet, as my research uncovered unexpected elements of my family history, the project gradually shifted focus. Ultimately the search to know my ancestors became part of the story — as, inevitably, did I.

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Why focus on Father’s family? Perhaps because of my lack of knowledge about them during my early years in Cuba; the allure that Europe held for me, as I grew up on a distant island; my infatuation with Catalan and Spanish culture during my late teens in Barcelona; and my unique experiences there a decade later as a post-graduate student of Alicia de Larrocha, the world-famous Catalan pianist.

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Illuminating Family takes place in Spain, Cuba, and the United States. It begins with a brief account of my family origins in 16th-century rural Catalunya. It ends with the Cuban revolution, the loss of family fortune, and the immigration of my immediate family to the United States.

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I hope that family, friends and unknown readers will be delighted, entertained, and even inspired by the story. As the eldest survivor of my generation, I humbly feel the responsibility of maintaining and transferring this historical record.