And yet, the romance – for all its careful construction and emotional impact – is not Cleeton’s main concern.Īfter all, Beatriz has understandable reservations toward commitment. Other than being betrothed to another woman (at least initially), Nick couldn’t be a better match for Beatriz they’re both passionate about politics and making a difference, and he treats her like an equal. They are a dangerous match from the beginning but launch into an affair anyway. When We Left Cuba, by Chanel Cleeton. Berkley Senator Nicholas Preston, who is American royalty with political ambitions that a relationship with Beatriz could jeopardize. What she doesn’t anticipate is falling hard for engaged U.S. Unlike her sisters, two of whom eventually marry and lead quiet lives, Beatriz harnesses her anger to seek retribution for her fellow Cubans, gaining an agency uncommon for women during that time period. It’s not long before she becomes embroiled in various plots to end Castro’s regime. So she approaches the CIA, assuming that the agency is desperate to take down Castro, and offers her services as a spy.

As she gets older, she grapples with how to fight for her home country while simultaneously figuring out who she is without it. How do I turn my back on that?” she argues. He died fighting for a better future for Cuba. It’s 1959, and the plucky, rebellious 22-year-old is outraged her family was forced to uproot from her beloved Cuba and move to Florida because of Fidel Castro.

The perspective in “When We Left Cuba” shifts from Elisa Perez to her older sister Beatriz. Its sequel “When We Left Cuba” delivers some of the same – including plenty of heartache – with a very different narrative. The novel balanced a lesson in Cuba’s volatile history with an emotionally affecting story.

Chanel Cleeton’s “Next Year in Havana” got a huge boost when Reese Witherspoon selected it for her book club in 2018, and it was rightfully singled out.

When we left cuba book