It was with favorable expectations that Silent Wing was received in 1998. Coming into the market just two years after The Secret of the Bulls, a novel set in pre-Revolutionary Cuba, which won positive attention from the Los Angeles Times as one of the best works of first fiction for 1996, could not hurt. Although critics had mixed feeling concerning Silent Wing, readers have offered favorable remarks. The most frequent comment concerns their appreciation of Bernardo's writing about Cuba's famous poet patriot, Jose Julian Marti. One reader stated that the book "brought much reflection and analysis of internal conflicts." Another reader remarked that he preferred his history "embedded in a good story." Further comments focus on the relevance of Marti's thoughts and deeds to today's turbulent political situations. Wherever there is inequality there is need for individuals with integrity. Bernardo's novel suggested that many leaders pause to contemplate before taking action. Readers seem to appreciate a protagonist who has many unanswered questions concerning life and making the right decisions.