I had heard a lot about Next Year in Havanaand I am always a bit skeptical about reading a book that there has been a lot of hype around, however I decided to check it out. The cover looked great (I most definitely do judge a book by its cover) and, as it is historical fiction set in the 1950s, I figured it couldn’t be too bad!
Next Year in Havana is about a fictional family forced to flee to America from Cuba as Castro takes over the country. The story alternates between 1950s Cuba told from the perspective of Elisa, the middle daughter of a sugar baron, to 2017 as told by Marisol, Elisa’s granddaughter, after the death of Elisa.
The story is gripping and we learn about the events leading up to Castro’s takeover. We look back on the very beginning of these totalitarian regimes and wonder how they ever came to exist. What I love about historical fiction is that a good author will show you how. Today’s issues aren’t black and white and neither is history. I enjoyed the peek into what life was like leading up to Fidel’s takeover.
Having read and really enjoyed Next Year in Havana I was eager to pick up When We Left Cuba, a stand-alone sequel to Next Year in Havana. The story is told by Beatriz, the older sister of Elisa who we met in Next Year in Havana, as the family tries to temporarily settle into life in America after fleeing Cuba—just until they can go home. As the months stretch on, the family starts to realize that they will not be returning to Cuba, something Beatriz can’t abide. How can she sit by when so much is at stake in her country? She must do something.
Meanwhile, Beatriz has fallen for a young, handsome U.S. senator, a relationship that will test her allegiance to her country and her love for this man—does she love her country or her man more? As events unfold, she starts doing some spying for the U.S. government to help the overthrow of the Cuban government.
This book offers a peek into what life was like for the Cubans who fled to America from Cuba and then had to start over, as well as what it was like to be a Cuban living in America during the Bay of Pigs, an event in history I never had learned a whole lot about.
Both of these books were gripping and I couldn’t put them down! They illuminate a lot about Cuba’s takeover and I felt both were very well rounded as far as the motivations for each of the characters. Readers should be advised there are a few PG-13 moments in each of these books—especially in When We Left Cuba. While not terribly explicit, be prepared that these are not totally clean historical fiction; however, I would not let that stop you from reading these books and you won’t miss anything by skipping these parts. I believe they tell an important part of not-so-distant history and there are lessons within their pages that we can all learn from.