The young Cuban writer Maykol Cobas Quintana, affectionately known as Cuco, has taken his first step into literature with the publication of Latidos de mi café con cubanía —also available in English as Heartbeats of My Coffee with Cubanness— a work profoundly shaped by family memory, identity, and roots.
At just 19 years old, Cobas presents a book that not only tells stories: it seeks to preserve the memories that have shaped his family. Its pages feature the kitchen, intimate conversations, the women who uphold the home, and above all, a distinctly Cuban element that runs throughout the work: coffee.
For the young author, that coffee is not just an everyday beverage. It symbolizes a heritage, a culture, and the bonds that connect generations.
Childhood in Cuba and a family separated by emigration
Maykol was born on October 19, 2006, in Havana, into a working-class family. He is the youngest of four half-siblings. Only one of his sisters shares the same mother with him, while the other three—two women and one man—are children of his father.
When Maykol was just five years old, his older sister from his mother’s side emigrated to the United States at the age of 19. Before they separated, their mother made a promise that would deeply impact the family: they would someday be together again.
That longing accompanied Maykol throughout his childhood and would eventually influence his way of seeing the world and telling stories.
The journey that changed her life
In 2019, when he was 12 years old, Maykol embarked on a long migratory journey with his parents that took them across five countries before arriving in Louisville, Kentucky, where his sister Elaine resided.
He was enrolled in the Newcomer Academy, a school for students who have just arrived in the United States. Adjusting to a new language, a new culture, and a new life was not easy.
However, in the midst of that process, something happened that would mark her future. An assistant to the director suggested she start keeping a journal to express in words what she was feeling during those early months.
That seemingly simple recommendation ended up planting the seed of what would later become his vocation as a writer.
From classrooms to literary vocation
Months later, Maykol and his parents temporarily relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada, where the family began to rebuild their lives. His parents worked at Tormar Cleaning Services, in the dishwashing and housekeeping departments.
During her adolescence, she attended the Del Sol Academy of the Performing Arts, where her Spanish and English teachers encouraged her interest in writing. It was during those years that the idea of publishing a book began to take shape.
In his final school year, having reached adulthood, one of his teachers helped him get in touch with the publishing house Imagilab, which ultimately published his first work.
A tribute to his grandmother Felicia
But the true root of the book lies in the story of his family. "Latidos de mi café con cubanía" is, above all, a tribute to his maternal grandmother, Felicia, who passed away at the age of 46 due to stomach cancer. Her memory occupies a central place in the work.
The book is narrated from the perspective of Yosaidys, the author's youngest cousin, a 15-year-old girl who writes family stories as if they were a lesson plan.
That structure has a special meaning. Before deciding on literature, Maykol dreamed of being a teacher. He even used to review lessons with his cousin and teach her Spanish.
However, when he emigrated from Cuba, he could not continue that dream. That is why he decided to transform that real experience into a book: in the story, instead of teaching her Spanish, the author shares the family stories with his cousin, especially those related to his grandmother.
The young woman, in turn, decides to write those stories so that the younger generations of the family do not forget where they come from.
Coffee as a symbol of memory and roots
In the book, coffee becomes a powerful symbol. It represents family conversations, inherited traditions and the way many Cuban families pass down their history. It also connects with the family's origins, linked to the coffee plantations in the Escambray mountains, where the grandparents met when they were young.
Today, as the author recalls, the three rest in peace, but their stories remain alive through family memory.
To reinforce that tribute, Cobas also included subtle literary nods in the work. For example, he changed the names of his relatives and his aunts, including that of his mother, to pay homage to his grandmother's sisters, whose names—just like in real life—end with the letter "A."
The decision to become a writer
The final push to publish the book came when Maykol heard in his tenth-grade English class about a meeting of Latino writers in Las Vegas organized by a local newspaper that sought to promote the use of Spanish.
In this meeting, they would have the presence of authors and editors from different countries, but he noted that there were few representatives from Cuba.
It was then that he decided to take the step. With the support of his parents, his sister, and a teacher from the school—who was a member of this same newspaper—who connected him with the publisher, he managed to publish his work.
A "chop of Cuban identity" for the world
For Maykol Cobas, this first book is not a final point, but the beginning of a journey. His intention is to continue writing and share Cuban stories with readers from various parts of the world.
As he summarizes it himself with a phrase that reflects the spirit of his work: “I want to offer a piece of my country to the world, to give a slice of cubanidad”.
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