Title: Next Year in Havana
Author: Chanel Cleeton
Original Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Original Publisher: Penguin/Berkley
5/5
This book goes back and forth between contemporary and historical fiction, with romance spanning both time periods, and a bit of mystery thrown in. The reader for this book is someone who loves love stories, loves to travel through their books, and enjoys learning through their reading.
The intended audience is going to typically be female, and probably around the same age as the main character, primarily twenties and thirties. People in that age will be able to relate more with the characters, either having gone through or currently going through similar emotions and stages in life.
There is, what I would consider, mild graphic content. Cleeton is not extensively descriptive of some of the atrocities of war that it can bring, but they are mentioned. Readers with very sensitive constitutions should be aware.
The cover design is by Sarah Oberrender. Photo credits are Woman: Richard Jenkins and Havana: Christopher Morre/ 500px
Like so many books before, I was drawn to this one because of the gorgeous coral colored evening dress on the cover. The voluptuous skirt, delicate pearls around her neck and wrist, and the seaside town, of what I could only assume was Havana, made it an instantaneous must have before I even turned it over to read the synopsis.
Experience
I read the book in August of 2020; I can remember that specifically because I was reading it in Florida when I got engaged! Earlier in the trip I begged my fiancé (now husband) to come with me to a local bookshop and found it there. I don’t even remember which other book I had with me, because I immediately switched to reading this one!
I read it every day by the resort pool overlooking the ocean and finished up on the plane ride home. If I was just at home instead of in paradise, I wouldn’t have put it down at all. I do remember feeling some of the heavier plot being too much for such a lovely place to read, but it was interesting to think about how similar Cuba is to where I was reading at the time, and how so often beauty and tragedy are interspersed.
Synopsis
The story jumps between Havana, Cuba in 1958/1959 and Havana, Cuba in 2017. Elisa Perez was born and raised in Cuba, until the revolution that put Fidel Castro in power comes to a head and her family must flee the country for refuge in America. Her granddaughter, Marisol Ferrera, has only heard of Cuba through the stories her grandmother and great aunts told her growing up in Miami.
When Elisa passes, after a long life, Marisol takes the chance to fulfill her last wish to scatter her ashes in the country she grew up in, the country that she loved and missed. Luckily for Marisol, relations between America and Cuba have recently improved, so she can travel to the place she has dreamed of going to her whole life. However, Cuba is still a dictatorship country, one wrong move could be dangerous to her and those she interacts with.
While in Cuba, Marisol stays with Ana Rodriguez, Elisa’s oldest friend, who’s family stayed behind. She’s met at the airport by Ana’s grandson, Luis. He shows her around Cuba, not afraid to tell her the truth of what it means to live in a place surrounded by paradise, while being subjected to the less than humane conditions of the government. Views that could bring trouble for them both if the wrong person hears them. With his help, Marisol learns that she may not have known everything about her grandmother after all and uncovers long lost family secrets that lead her on a journey she never expected to take.
Review
Next Year in Havana is written in first person perspective from the point of view of two characters, Elisa and Marisol. Often times when authors flip between characters, their relation is left a mystery. I appreciated that Cleeton established the familial relationship between Elisa and Marisol right away. Given the story it would not have made sense to spin it into a mystery, but I still enjoyed the interplay of their relationship throughout the book reading from each perspective.
There are a decent number of characters we meet throughout the story, but there is only a handful that we get to know more intimately. Through Elisa, we get a closer look at her parents and siblings, Isabel, Alejandro, Beatriz, and Maria. We also get to meet the revolutionary and love interest, Pablo. For Marisol, we learn what happened to the Perez family in the intermittent years and meet Marisol’s love interest, Luis.
Given the time and situations the characters were in, they felt very real. In writing this I’ve even seen some people have looked up if this was a true story. I am sure parts of it are not too far off from real experiences Cuban expatriates had right before fleeing. The only character I really didn’t like was Elisa’s mother. It’s not that her character was poorly written, I just can’t imagine having a mother like her, even putting it into the perspective of the time.
As I am sure many would agree, Beatrice ended up being one of my favorite characters, her passion, dedication, and strength are all admirable traits. I definitely related to Elisa the most though. Her character is most similar to mine out of all the ladies in this story, and I felt a kinship early on with her.
Not that it was bad writing, I just personally hate the things that separate the lovers in any book. Elisa and Marisol both experience difficulties at the start of their new relationships. It is frustrating to read through the times when they are either physically kept apart from the men they love, or because of others dictating that they need to be apart. It breaks my heart to read their pain knowing how similar I would feel in the same circumstance.
I really enjoyed the parallels between Elisa and Marisol, mostly the parallel of them both falling in love in Cuba. Also, the parallels between Pablo and Luis. It is intriguing to me how much history and learning from it is discussed throughout the novel, and yet here are these characters who have repeated a more intimate history. It begs the question whether we can ever really learn from it and make different decisions. In some cases, it appears unavoidable and in others it can unknowingly change the course of history.
The relationship between grandmother and granddaughter touched my heart on a very personal level. I was very close to my grandmother, who had passed less than a year before reading this. I was probably much more emotional than most readers will be because I felt the grief Marisol talks about very acutely. I don’t know if it is fate that led me to read this story, but it sure felt like it while reading another’s story of a beloved grandmother’s loss. Even though it made me cry, I think it also helped me heal a little bit.
The book was much deeper than I would have guessed by looking at it. I knew about the Cuban missile crisis, Fidel Castro, and the communist government that has kept Cuba from flourishing like it could have. I was never taught about the revolutions that took place when he came to power, and how there wasn’t much of a change between him and his predecessor, Batista. Cleeton did a wonderful job of showing what really happened during that time through characters that could have been there if they were real.
I appreciate how much inspiration Cleeton drew from her own family, friends, and heritage. You can tell that so much thoughtfulness and care went into writing this story. She did a wonderful job of crafting a compelling story with relatable characters, while they are encompassed in the very real dangers of Cuba. I want to thank her for broadening my knowledge of Cuba and her people, whether still on the island or exiled in America.
Comparison
I truly loved this book for the history and romance. In a way it was fun, to “travel” to Cuba, but after reading this, I don’t think I will be visiting Cuba unless something drastically changes. I felt Cleeton hit all expectations for the type of novel that it is. It’s really everything you would expect to get from it. I’d say it even does better than some books that fit into only one reading category.
Similar Reads:
When We Left Cuba- Chanel Cleeton
Recommendation
Would you recommend this book?
I would absolutely recommend Next Year in Havana. If you are looking for a beach read that is more than just summer romance, pick it up!
Thank You for Reading!
To keep up with Chanel Cleeton and her work you can find her on her on:
Website- http://www.chanelcleeton.com/
Instagram- @chanelcleeton
