MEMORIAS DE UN MAYORDOMO
Conocí a René Villarreal en el jardín de Finca Vigía. Miento, fue en La Habana, durante las jornadas del XI Coloquio Internacional Ernest Hemingway. Lo que pasa es que si uno dice René Villarreal automáticamente está hablando de Finca Vigía. Pues bien, aquella tarde calurosa, sentados en el parque, hablamos largamente sobre Hemingway. René fue para Ernest en Finca Vigía lo que Gregorio Fuentes fue para el yate Pilar. Uno estaría horas charlando a pesar de la temperatura, desearía preguntarle cómo era Hemingway, de que forma se enojaba, a qué hora tomaba la primera copa, por qué Mary no le perdía pisada. Con su extrema calma al hablar, René me contestó una a una mis preguntas y me pidió prudencia, que espera un poco, porque muy pronto todo iba a estar contenido en las páginas de un libro. Esta semana recibí un mail de Raúl, su hijo, dándome la noticia que el libro ya estaba listo. ¡¡Una joya!!
Hemingway’s Cuban Son
Reflections on the Writer by His Longtime Majordomo
René Villarreal and Raúl Villarreal
“This is the story of a poor, young Cuban boy who grew into a man and
gained the trust and respect of a famous American author, whom he loved
like a father. A man he called ‘Papa.’”—from the Preface
In 1996 René Villarreal returned to Cuba
to retrieve his memoir of his life with Ernest
Hemingway at the Finca Vigia. Sadly,
he learned that the manuscript and photographs
had been lost. Determined to tell
his story, Villarreal, together with his son
Raúl, set about rewriting the account of
how he came to be Ernest Hemingway’s
majordomo, confidant, and friend—his
Cuban son.
Hemingway, called El Americano by
the Cubans, moved into the Finca Vigia,
an estate outside of Havana, in 1939. He
allowed the village children to play on his
property, and they soon became fixtures,
caring for his pets, performing odd jobs,
and running errands. Hemingway recognized
René as especially responsible and attentive and made him household
manager, or majordomo, in 1946 when René was only seventeen.
For the next fifteen years, René ran the Finca, tending to Hemingway
and his wife, Mary, and their visiting family and distinguished guests. Villarreal’s
clear recollections offer up humorous stories of escapades and adventures
with Hemingway as well as insightful comments on the writer’s
work habits, moods, passions, and friendships. He also writes of Cuba before
and after the revolution, capturing so well the sense of place and time.
Scholars and readers of Hemingway worldwide will be caught up in this
compelling story of a great friendship and will find insight into this complicated,
fascinating, brilliant writer.
René Villarreal now lives in Union City, New Jersey, after moving from
Cuba in 1972. His son Raúl Villarreal is an artist and currently lives in
Verona, New Jersey.

LA PIPA DE HEMINGWAY TE ESPERA EN LIBRERÍAS CUSPIDE