Marisol just landed in Cuba on a mission from her grandmother – to scatter her grandmother’s ashes in her home country. What Marisol isn’t prepared for are the revelations about her family’s history…and the heartbreak she will experience along the way. Will she find the perfect eternal resting place for her grandmother’s ashes, or will she end up drawing the ire of the Cuban government?
Next Year in Havana is Chanel Cleeton’s novel based loosely on her own family’s Cuban ancestry and exodus from Havana during the revolution in the 1950’s. A 2018 Goodreads Choice Nominee for Fiction, this novel utilizes dual timelines to slowly reveal the secrets behind Marisol’s family and their departure from Cuba as well as the risks ever-present for Americans in the country. This is a novel about generational trauma, fighting injustice, and the stark contrast between life in the two countries.
I give Next Year in Havana 3 out of 5 stars. I found it difficult to enjoy this author’s writing style. Some of the present-day writing felt unpolished and almost forced. Her shining moments came in the historical timeline – those felt most inspired and creative. I did have a difficult time relating to the characters on occasion and felt like this was written with the screen in mind, but not in the mindset of stimulating or challenging the reader.
With discussions of war, violence, and government oppression, this novel would be best directed towards more mature audiences over 16. I would also caution readers who may be triggered by political violence against this book. If you are unfamiliar with the Cuban revolution, this may be a great place to start with some historical facts mixed into the fictional world around the characters.
I chose Next Year in Havana for the Read With Lindsey Reading Challenge prompt “by a Hispanic Author”. This one has been on my TBR shelf for months and I was excited to finally read it. I was a bit disappointed for how hyped up this book has been, but I am excited to have finally read this one. We read this in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month – who is your favorite Hispanic author?
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What I’m Reading
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