"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--and what it means to be Cuban"-- Provided by publisher.
I have read previous books by Cleeton, but this was very different from her contemporary romances. This book had romance, but this was not a romance. It WAS a beautiful story of love and family and love of country.
Cleeton did an incredible job bringing us to Cuba. She skillfully painted a vivid image of the island and its people for me both pre and post Castro's regime. But what really captivated me and stirred my emotions was all the history in this book. I think I learned some about Cuba back in the 80s, when I was in 8th grade, but this was a totally different point of view of the politics and the effects it had on Cuban citizens and how polarizing it was for many families.
This was a beautiful and emotional story, which caused me to shed tears quite a few times. I really loved the dual timelines, and the parallels between Marisol and her grandmother, and there were quite a few big, beautiful surprises in the the story as well.
