Synopsis

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity-and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution . . .

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba’s high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country’s growing political unrest–until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary . . .

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa’s last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth.

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba’s tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she’ll need the lessons of her grandmother’s past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

My Thoughts

To be honest, I didn’t know much about the Cuban Revolution, and this book, although fictional, opened my eyes to the horror stories and sacrifices people make in search for freedom, and it encouraged me to learn more this country and what happened.
The author wove together the difficult topics of political revolutions, war, society class, loyalty, family and love perfectly and kept the story-line relevant and engaging, and not to mention, across two narratives as well- the past (Elisa’s timeline) and present (Marisol’s timeline).

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and their heart-wrenching and addictive romance for love and the beautiful city of Havana, and even though they’re many decades apart, it shows that not much has changed.

Havana was brought to life, showcasing how beautiful she is, yet also so devastatingly haunted by what’s happened to the country. I’ve never been to Havana before and even though, there were aspects of the country and people that were shown in a negative light, I really want to visit Cuba and experience it for myself.
I came into this book, not really knowing what to expect, but came out absolutely loving it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

More Info: Goodreads

Buy From: Book Depository – Booktopia

Have you read Next Year In Havana? What were your thoughts? Or if you haven’t, will you be picking it up? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Until we meet again, stay beautiful and happy reading!

Loi x