Isabel Fernandez

An eleven-year-old girl from Havana, Cuba, and one of the protagonists of the book. Isabel is devoted to her family and wants to keep them together. She is brave and takes the initiative in helping them leave Cuba. She has a playful nature and plays the trumpet, but her girlhood dreams are dashed by dire circumstances. Although she is a gifted musician, she struggles to hear the clave, a rhythm underlying all Cuban music, which all her family members can feel. Isabel worries that being unable the find the clave means she is not fully Cuban.