Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Book Review

After seeing this book all over bookstagram, I decided to give it a try!

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⁣This historical fiction book centers around Marisol, a Cuban-American whose grandmother, Elisa, has just died. Elisa’s dying wish was to have her ashes scattered in her homeland of Cuba. So Marisol, a journalist, goes to Cuba to fulfill her grandmother’s request and along the way she uncovers a number of secrets about her grandmother’s life before she escaped Cuba during the revolution.⁣
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⁣⁣The story is narrated by both Marisol and Elisa - Marisol in 2017 and Elisa in 1958. Through both narrators, we see the unfolding of two different love stories.⁣
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⁣⁣My favorite part about this book was undoubtably learning more about Cuba and its past and present politics. Through the stories of Elisa and Marisol the book details both the Cuban revolution when Fidel Castro was coming to power as well as the Cuba that emerged after Castro’s death. I especially enjoyed seeing how Elisa’s family, considered part of Cuba’s “high society” in the 50s, dealt with the political unrest in their country.⁣
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⁣⁣Despite the history lesson, I did find the love stories a bit fluffy for me. Nevertheless, it was worth the read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars