Crossing North

Tribulations of a Cuban Doctor

By: Betty Viamontes

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

2023 ILBA - Best Novel - Adventure or Drama - English - Bronze Medal

A gripping novel inspired by a true story of courage, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of freedom.

Joel is a Cuban doctor working on an international medical mission—one that promises humanitarian service but hides a darker reality. His passport has been taken. His movements are monitored. Most of his salary is seized by the government.

He is trapped.

Determined to reclaim his freedom, Joel makes the dangerous decision to escape with his wife, Leila. Their journey north becomes a test of endurance and faith as they cross jungles, rivers, mountains, and deserts on their way to the United States.

From the deadly Darién Gap to the corruption-filled checkpoints of Central America and the harsh deserts of northern Mexico, Joel and Leila confront dangers at every turn. Hunger, illness, betrayal, and violence threaten to stop them before they reach their destination.

Yet along the way, they encounter extraordinary acts of kindness from strangers who remind them that hope can survive even in the darkest moments.

Inspired by real events, this powerful novel reveals the hidden reality behind Cuba’s international medical missions and the sacrifices many doctors make in their search for freedom.

For readers who enjoy powerful human stories about migration, resilience, and the courage to pursue a better life, this unforgettable journey will stay with you long after the final page.

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Despite the horrors, Crossing North is ultimately a tale of love and family. Its characters are strikingly familiar. They are parents and children like our own, clinging to each other while their world falls apart. Their lives, struggles, and deaths are a lesson and a caution for the modern world.

Allen A. Witt PhD, Lead Author of America’s Community College: The First Century

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About the author:
Betty Viamontes was born in Havana, Cuba. At age fifteen, Betty and her family crossed the Florida Straits in an overcrowded shrimp boat on a stormy night when many families perished. This trip would reunite the family with Betty’s father in the United States after almost twelve years of separation. Upon the death of her mother and Betty’s completion of graduate studies at the University of South Florida, to honor her mother, Betty has dedicated her life to capturing the stories of people without a voice. Her stories have traveled the world, from the award-winning novels Waiting on Zapote Street and Brothers: A Pedro Pan Story to the No. 1 new releases The Girl from White Creek and A Girl Named Polina.