A HELLO SUNSHINE x REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK“A beautiful novel that’s full of forbidden passions, family secrets and a lot of courage and sacrifice.”—Reese WitherspoonAfter 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 … 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.
more
Another book I read for a cover quote, and loved. I know very little about Cuban history past the broad strokes, and I was delighted by this novel which is at once a passionate romance, a dual-timeline mystery, and a gorgeous portrait of war-torn Cuba.
I’ve read quite a few incredible books this year but, by far, Next Year in Havana was my favorite. This bestseller is a historical and, at the same time, a contemporary fiction. The story drifts back and forth from past to present, shedding light on life in Cuba during Batista’s reign, Castro’s revolution and dictatorship, and the conditions of today.
Marisol makes a journey to the land of her heritage, Cuba, on the pretense of writing an article for a travel column. Her actual mission is to fulfill her grandmother, Elisa’s, last wish to have her ashes spread in the country of her youth. There, she not only meets a young man who makes her aware of how little has changed in Cuba through his revolutionary ideas, she also learns how truly desperate the situation was in the past when her family was forced to leave. These revelations come from a series of love letters, ones between her grandmother and a mysterious man.
Elisa’s story is gripping, beautifully sad and romantic in a time of turmoil. Through her letters and the chapters in her point of view, the history of the era is recreated in all its beauty, but more so in its failings. Squashed was the spirit of the people, their way of life, their security. Even the chance for true love was stolen from many—from Elisa.
Next Year in Havana is a love story. Love of country, heritage, tradition, family and romance. This is a story with substance. One where there is much to learn, much to ponder and consider. I found myself thinking about this book for many days after I had finished it.
My newly-formed book club chose this as our first book and we couldn’t wait until the club actually met to start talking about it. Texts abounded, we were all fascinated. I don’t want to say much for fear of spoiling, although this tale is steeped in tragic history we all know, but many of us do not know it this well, or see it from these perspectives, so there are some things you must discover as you read. I learned a tremendous amount, I felt even more, and I bought the next Perez Family tale immediately.
This is easily one of my favorite books of the year. It’s a dual love story with political intrigue, history, and Cuban culture (both from present time and the 1950s) woven in. The writing is gorgeous and the story is well written. I can’t say enough about the book.
I was drawn in immediately to a world in which I was unfamiliar. Cleeton successfully marries history, love, and suspense in a tale that is sure to be a hit! And the cover…everyone is talking about the cover…Love it!
No doubt about it; I loved Next Year In Havana. Cuba has always fascinated me – so close and yet so far. If I had a bucket list, visiting Cuba would be on it. That said, despite the recent loosening of travel restrictions, it still isn’t an easy place to visit.
This is one of the themes of this book – feeling the restrictions of life as a Cuban and dreaming that it will change – albeit for very different reasons. The two voices of the book are the Elisa of 1959, living in Cuba with her wealthy family in the lead-up to the revolution that brought Fidel Castro to power, and Marisol, her journalist granddaughter, who grew up in Florida after her grandparents fled Cuba and who now returns as a visitor to spread her grandmother’s ashes there.
The plot switches between past and present, between Elisa and Marisol. In the smoothest of transitions, we learn about Elisa’s life and loves, all the while Marisol, who was raised on her family’s stories of Cuba, is living them for herself. I came to love both women. I came to love their revolutionaries. I came to rush into each new chapter to find out what would happen.
This book is at the same time a war story, a love story, and a family saga. It is also an education into the history of Cuba, with keen insight into her people, both sixty years ago and now. From what I’ve read, Chanel Cleeton grew up with the same stories as her Marisol. Each one drew me in. Yes, there were times when the plight of Cubans, first under Batista, then under the Castros, was vaguely repetitive and might have been shortened. By the end of the book, though, I felt deeply for the cause in part because of the passion of these characters.
A final word. The narrator of the audiobook was incredibly good, no doubt adding to the pleasure of experiencing this book. If you can listen, do. If not, read this one in print. Either way, it’s worth it.
Absolutely fascinating! Beautiful love stories set against the backdrop of both the magic and terror that is Cuba.
ALL THE STARS!!!
Two stories. Two different eras.
Next Year in Havana explores the political unrest growing in Cuba. Marisol embarks on a journey to learn about her heritage and where she comes from thanks to Elisa, her beloved grandmother’s teachings.
I never felt so many emotions all at once while reading. This book was so profound, deeply and intricately tied to Cuba’s history! I felt like I was transported back in time to a country filled with so much injustice; for the Cuban people face a sad reality.
Next Year in Havana has truly made me look at Cuba in such a different light after reading. Entertaining. Vibrant. Exhilarating. Simply an extraordinary story with amazing, brave, and resilient characters that will captivate your hearts and souls. Chanel Cleeton is a brilliant storyteller. She gave me a much needed history lesson and I’ll never let this story go. I’ll never forget this story as this story is a story that needs to be read and shared everywhere!
“Next year in Havana.”
Living in Key West, we hear a lot about the complex and fascinating country of Cuba. So I love reading fiction with Cuba in the background. In Cleeton’s NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA, two separate timelines, two romances, play alongside the rocky political climate leading up to the revolution. I loved the stories of Marisol and especially her grandmother, and came away feeling as though I know a lot more about the people of this country and the difficult choices they’ve faced over the last century.
Family secrets, forbidden love, courage and sacrifice set in the present and during the Cuban Revolution – a great read!
I adored this book. I love reading about another place when written by someone who clearly adores it. Cuba is not a location that has ever been on my radar beyond enjoying “The Buena Vista Social Club”. I appreciated Cleeton’s nuanced take on the country. By going back and forth between the past and present–and telling us Cuba’s story through the lens of people who love her despite their varied political views–she paints a full picture of the island nation. I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
I was very fortunate to win a signed copy of this wonderful book through one of the many book groups I belong to on Facebook. I immediately fell in love with this story very early on. Elisa Perez is the daughter of a sugar baron in Havana in 1958. She meets and falls in love with Pablo who is part of the revolutionary. The family has to flee Havana and they settle in Florida. Fast forward to present day when Elisa’s granddaughter, Marisol, is asked to take Elisa’s ashes to Havana where she will stay with her grandmother’s best friend Ana. At Ana’s home, Marisol meets Ana’s grandson, Luis, and lots of things happen after that. The story alternates between 1958 Havana and Elisa’s life to present day Havana and Marisol who begins to discover numerous family secrets. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful book and visiting Cuba has been added to my bucket list. I highly recommend this book.
If you enjoy past-present stories, if you’re at all curious about Cuba, if you like your novels to come with a love story, you are going to need this book in your life. Next Year In Havana is an immersive experience. While officially Marisol travels to Cuba to write an article on tourism now that restrictions have eased, unofficially she’s there on a journalist’s visa to return her grandmother Elisa’s ashes to her native country. Elisa’s family left the country when Castro took over but they never thought Castro would stay in power or that they’d never be able to return. Upon Marisol’s arrival, she meets Luis, the handsome professor grandson of her grandmother’s best friend Ana. Through Ana and Luis, Marisol is able to see the Cuba from her grandmother’s stories, as well as the Cuba of today. Two love stories, two depictions of Cuba. It highlights what modern Cubans have undergone and it does not shy away from the US government’s complicity in Cuba’s plight. I learned a lot but I never felt like I was being taught. This was a wonderfully written story.
Marisol Ferrara was raised by her late grandmother, Elisa, who immigrated from Cuba in the 1950’s. Her grandmother’s dying wish was to have her ashes scattered in her native Havana. Marisol works as a freelance journalist in Miami and will use this opportunity to write a piece on tourism in Cuba. She embarks on this journey with the goal of finding a location with symbolic importance to her grandmother.
Marisol arrives in Cuba and sets out to learn all that she can about her grandmother’s family. She begins to trace Elisa’s life with help from her grandmother’s childhood friend. Ana gives her a box containing her grandmother’s letters and this provides most of the clues to Elisa’s past. These include secret love letters detailing her teenage romance with a young revolutionary. Marisol begins to appreciate the amazing life her grandmother lived and the sacrifices her family made to keep them together.
This novel by Chanel Cleeton is one of my favorite reads over the last year. It is a very engaging story with a great mix of romance and history. I look forward to the sequel scheduled for 2019.
Cuba is now the next place to go on our bucket list!
I choose to read next year in Havana because I don’t know much about Cuba. The book mentioned the great beauty of Cuba. It also emphasized. The difficulty of living under Fidel Castro. I would like to visit now.
This story chronicles the days of the exodus from Cuba and the heartache of lost love and a way of life as a result of regime change in that country when Castro came to power. Elisa Perez’s story is moving and well told. It’s also a great history lesson.
Everything about this book was gorgeous. From the writing, to the rich, evocative setting, to the characters who grab your by your heart and don’t let go. I adored every second of this read and can’t wait for Channel Cleeton’s next book!
I loved this book when I honestly didn’t think I would. I fell in love with the story and characters.
In 1959 Elisa Perez, her sisters, mother, and father leave Cuba as Batista falls to Fidel Castro. She leaves behind a forbidden love, their stately mansion, and a lifestyle of bespoke gowns and parties. However, she also leaves buried treasures and her best friend, Ana.
Decades later, Elisa’s granddaughter, Marisol, returns to Cuba with Elisa’s ashes to discover the country her great grandparents and their daughters left behind. It is a timely story for our current quandary over immigrants and exiles.
There are two love stories, Elisa’s first love in 1959 and Marisol’s present day love story. So the reader moves back and forth between the past and present, but always aware of the main love, Cuba. “Havana is like a woman who was grand once and has fallen on hard times, and yet hints of her former brilliance remain, traces of an era since passed …” Chanel Cleeton fills the story with prose taking the reader back to Havana in all its splendor and to the Havana of the present day, stuck in a time warp, “a photograph faded by time and circumstance, its edges crumbling to dust.”
The history of the revolution and politics are woven into the daily lives of the Perez family past and present. There are glimpses into their relationships with Castro and Batista and the dangers they face daily because of their alliances. “Loyalty is a complicated thing—where does family fit on the hierarchy? Above or below country? Above or below the natural order of things? Or are we above all else loyal to ourselves, to our hearts, our convictions, the internal voice that guides us?”
“Very few can afford the luxury of being political in Cuba. And no one can afford the luxury of not being political in Cuba.” The dilemma is real, then and now. It’s a love story, a story of loss and also a cautionary tale of the power of men in control of government—”Terrible things rarely happen all at once. They’re incremental so people don’t realize how bad things have gotten until it’s too late. He swore up and down that he wasn’t a communist. That he wanted democracy. Some believed him. Other’s didn’t.”
“… There ae dozens of ways you can betray your country—broken promises, failed policies, the sound of a firing squad … and then there’s the silent betrayal—the most insidious one of all.”
The beauty of Cuba, is what Marisol can appreciate. She understands why her grandmother stared across the water from her home in south Florida, squinting to see a glimpse of the beautiful island left behind. However, the political climate remains unchanged for the Cubans who remain. She has to be careful when expressing her opinions to her new friends there, the old friends of her grandmother—”I can’t fathom living in a world where you have no rights, where there is no oversight, no accountability. The U.S. isn’t perfect, there’s injustice everywhere I turn. But there’s also a mechanism that protects its citizens—the right to question when something is wrong, to speak out, to protest, to be heard …”
Marisol is successful in finding the perfect place to spread her grandmother’s ashes and her accomplice is an unexpected surprise. There are other treasures and secrets to be unearthed in Elisa’s old neighborhood, but it becomes apparent that Marisol may have overstayed her welcome, as she has been watched. This is a well-written novel, with beautiful descriptions of the scenery, food and lifestyle in Cuba. It also promises future stories of other members of the family, especially Beatriz, “I kissed Che Guevara once.”
In the early chapters of Next Year in Havana, we meet Beatriz, a mysterious young woman, Elisa’s sister. She is possibly aligned with the revolution, beautiful, and sought after. However, she’s spunky and allusive, making the reader want to know more about her. This promise will be fulfilled in When We Left Cuba, a future novel by Cleeton. We are left with an impression of her in her seventies, “Darling, you bring a questionable hat back with you, one you’ll probably never wear but can’t resist because you’re on vacation. Maybe even a bottle of rum. But a man?” She promises to be quite the character and I look forward to reading more about her.
Told through the eyes of a Cuban sugar queen and a modern freelance writer, Cleeton has created a lush and sweeping novel that brings Havana to life in a riot of colors. This gritty tale pulls back the curtain on revolutionary and modern Cuba, allowing us a glimpse of the courage, heartache, and sacrifices of those who left their country in exile, and also those who stayed behind. Highly recommended!