The Tombstone Tourist in Cuba
by Terisa E. Gigiel

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A Tombstone Tourist In Cuba immerses you in a world that is rich in history, culture, and religion. In this book of photography, you will take a detour from the beaten path of beach resorts and discover this storied Caribbean nation via its cemeteries and monuments. Here you will learn about how the country’s population celebrates, pays tribute to, and mourns its people. This book explores the symbolism and historical significance of different tombs, crypts, and monuments. Amid the marble pathways, pink bougainvillea, and intricately carved monuments are powerful reminders of lives lived. Some tombs tell the story of a person who has risen to mythical levels, while others demonstrate the honour afforded people who died under tragic circumstances. A gravesite can tell you so much about people: who they were, what they represented, how they were loved . . . But this book is not just a guided tour of Cuba’s many and varied cemeteries. It is a photographic journey into the heart of a nation. Through these stories and images, you will uncover a side to the people and the country that you may never have otherwise come to learn. And who knows? Perhaps you’ll take a detour of your own, the next time you travel, and explore a cemetery for yourself. Why not start with Cuba?

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Terisa Gigiel is a self-described coimetromaniac—a person who feels compelled to visit cemeteries. To her, cemeteries are peaceful places, places of remembrance. They are also places of great learning, as she has discovered over the years. Gigiel fell in love with Cuba from her first trip there. Over the years, she kept returning to this island nation, eager to explore all facets of the culture. During her many travels, she discovered the joy of photography and hasn’t looked back since. Her love for Cuba and its people culminated in this yearslong passion project where she hopes to inspire people to discover the richness cemeteries can bring to their travels. After all, as she says, “No matter which path we choose to follow in life, it will lead us all to the same destination . . . We are created of dust and shall return to dust.” Gigiel lives with her husband in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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Contributors

Author

Terisa E. Gigiel

Illustrator

Kyla Wolkowicz

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