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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, 19-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.
This was one of those books where having the book in hand would probably served it better. The story was good. Another book that blends the past with the present. It was interesting to see Cuba’s history from a historical perspective & see how it impacts the present. The struggles with love for country combined with the desire for freedom, opportunity & justice are not new concepts but still very real to the story. My knowledge of Cuban history is superficial but this book gave me a couple of different perspectives on both sides of the political argument.
I could have done without Marisol’s romance. It felt predictable and cliche…edging on Harlequin. Even her journey through her grandmother’s life was predictable but far more interesting with the political dynamic weaved through it.
The delivery of the audible book was what made this story difficult. Monotone, halting and lacking authenticity. There were 2 narrators but they both had the same tone so you couldn’t even tell the difference. If they had stayed in a Latino accent, perhaps it would have felt more genuine. But the pronunciation of Kooooba & other Cuban locations/cities (while understood) between long English phrases was disorienting. The whole time I kept thinking “Do Cuban’s really talk like this?” Based on the reviews, I’m not alone in that feeling. It threw the story off completely.
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