Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton kicks off a series of book focusing on the Perez family.
Format: Paperback
Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Page Length: 356 pages
Publisher: February 6, 2018
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
I wasn't sure what I would think about Next Year in Havana; sometimes historical fiction is hit or miss for me, and if I don't find myself super interested in the timeline, the book loses me fast. This book, however, was never in any danger of losing me. It hooked me from the very beginning, and I'm so glad my bookstagram friend recommended it. I cannot wait to read the others in the series now!
Here’s a summary from GoodReads: 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.
I think my favorite thing about this book was the atmosphere. The backdrop of Cuba is full of mystery, intrigue, seductiveness...it's basically the forbidden fruit, and I'm lusting after it like crazy. I could see Havana in my mind as I read the story, both in the past and the present. I felt like I was walking on the streets with Marisol and Elisa, meeting both Pablo and Louis too. I love when a book lets me feel like part of the story, and for this book, it was effortless. I was swept away in the grandeur of the Perez life in the 1950s, and I was completely carried away by Marisol's desire to find the perfect resting place for her grandmother's ashes.
This book is told on two competing timelines that ultimately intersect, but I'm going to focus most of my comments on each timeline individually first. This will NOT be spoiler free, so you've been warned!
First, we must visit the past...I was completely fascinated with Elisa. She was such an endearing character, and I felt her love for Pablo pulsate throughout the story like its as my own heartbeat. She loved him almost to the point of desperation, almost to the point where you could just read the writing on the wall about where the relationship was headed. I loved that Pablo challenged her and made her a better thinker without pushing her to necessarily believe as he did. He truly wanted Elisa to think for herself, and he gave her all the tools to do that. Some women today might scoff at the idea of a man giving a woman the tools necessary to think, but in the Cuba of the 1950s (and Elisa's family), she was only raised to be a wife, mother and socialite. She didn't have a starting place to truly educate herself on the issues outside what she discussed with her sisters and brother. Pablo helped her see that there could be a different way of life; I don't know that his version turned out to be a better way of life, but it certainly was different for Elisa.
I was completely drawn to Pablo too, so I can't say I blame Elisa. From her first description of him at the party, I knew he was trouble in the best possible way. What I loved most about him, though, was his passion. He was passionate for Elisa and protecting her, but he was passionate about his causes. He truly believed in his cause, and he was willing to give up everything for a better tomorrow for Cuba. I found the chemistry between Elisa and Pablo to be electric; I honestly don't know how people were able to be around them and not realize the deep connection they had. Their love was just pure romance through and through of the best kind. When Pablo said, "How can time feel both unending and entirely too finite?," my heart broke a little for what was sure to come.
When the Batiste regime fell and Elisa's family had to flee Cuba, my heart ached for her. It literally felt like it broke inside my chest because I knew all she was leaving behind in Cuba, both what she knew of and what she didn't. I can't imagine having to pack up and leave my house, my belongings, all in a matter of days without knowing when or if I'll ever return to see my loved ones again. Her goodbye with Magda about broke me too, and I can't even fathom the strength of the real life people who made these decisions.
Fast forward to the Cuba of today, and Marisol is in Cuba to spread her grandmother's ashes (Elisa). Elisa was like a mother to Marisol, and she badly wants to learn more about her life. She's grown up hearing all the stories about a romantic, dreamy Cuba that her grandmother loved, and she knows this is her chance to experience it. She stays with Elisa's childhood best friend Ana and is swept away immediately by Ana's grandson Louis. And boy, is Louis one dreamy, tall, dark drink of water that I could drink all day. Louis is a radical and a revolutionary just like Pablo, but he must be more careful about it in the Cuba of today. Marisol and Louis spend time touring the island and ultimately, falling in love, during her visit. But, the real purpose of her visit to learn more of the Cuba her grandmother knew. Once she discovers letters to Elisa from her unnamed lover (Pablo, ahem, it's Pablo), Marisol has a new mission...find this man.
She, along with Louis, searches high and low for Pablo, this great love of her grandmother's life that Elisa never mentioned. Marisol is both equal parts curious and hurt over this mysterious part of her grandmother's life, and she feels like this is one more connection she can have to her Elisa before saying a true goodbye to the woman who raised her. Louis helps her, but he also cautions her because of how dangerous it is to appear as a threat to the regime...
Marisol finally connects with Elisa's nanny, Magda, and learns more about Pablo. She never learns his name, but she does learn that he died before her grandmother fled Cuba. She also learns some other BIG secrets that I won't spoil here. She feels lost now, like she has no purpose, but she perseveres. When out on a date with Louis in Havana, the police take Louis for questioning about his revolutionary activities, and Marisol is also taken...all of these actions lead to some MAJOR STUFF going down, and I don't want to spoil it...but it was everything I hoped for and more! I think Pablo said it best when he said, "That's the beauty of life. If everything happened the way we wished, the way we planned, we'd miss out on the best parts, the unexpected pleasures."
I could write forever about this book. I loved it so much, and it was such an unexpected love, I think that makes it even more ardent. I particularly liked Marisol because I identified so much with her feelings over the loss of her grandmother. My grandmother passed away in 2008, and it is still hard for me to think about her without tearing up. There are days I miss her so much it hurts, and I would give anything just to hold her hand or talk to her again. Even though she's fictional, Marisol understands that emotion on an elemental level, and I so felt like she would understand that feeling of loss I have. At one point, Marisol explains that she feels adrift without her grandmother to moor her in place, and I get that statement on so many levels. I honestly feel like Chanel Cleeton wrote my heart in this story at times, and it was just magical.
Next Year in Havana is a five star read for me. If I could give it ten stars, I would. This book was perfection, and I cannot wait to read the others.
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