Title: When We Left Cuba
This month, I chose a good, quick read. When We Left Cuba is a Reese Witherspoon Book Club choice and got 4.25 out of 5 stars on GoodReads. I liked it enough that I was able to finish it in a couple days, so it seemed like a great choice for a book review. What I didn’t realize is that this novel is the sequel to Chanel Cleeton’s first Cuba novel, Next Year in Havana, which I understand more closely covers the Cuban Revolution. The author, who is originally from Florida, continues the story of the Perez family who left Cuba in the 1950s. Cleeton follows the exploits of one of their daughters, the main character Beatriz Perez, into the world of 1960s Palm Beach, Fla.
Beatriz Perez is the attractive daughter of a former Cuban sugar baron who is trying to rebuild his business in their new home in Florida. Beatriz is the only one of the Perez’s four daughters who is politically outspoken, haunted by her twin brother Alejandro’s death presumably at the hands of Fidel Castro, and anxious for revenge. Much to the dismay of her parents, and in conflict with her mother’s never-ending attempts to find her a suitable husband in their new country, Beatriz looks for ways to do her part to get back at Castro. Into the mix, the author has added Beatriz’s undeniable beauty and fearlessness. Although Beatriz does use her sex appeal and beauty to her advantage, her character is strong, smart and believable. Ultimately, Beatriz falls in love with a socially off-limits United States senator from Connecticut who is a frequent winter resident in Palm Beach. She also accepts the offer of a CIA operative to find out what she can about Castro. By using solid character development and a fast-moving plot, this series of unlikely events is portrayed in a way that makes them believable.
The story takes place during the turbulent years after the Cuban Revolution. National and international Cold War events like John F. Kennedy’s presidential election, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the assassination of President Kennedy, and the Cuban Missile Crisis – all so closely followed and felt by the Cuban community in South Florida – affect Beatriz’s life. I thought it was clever of the author to portray the historical events shared by Cuba and the U.S. through the eyes of a character familiar with both places and with some sympathy for both countries. Beatriz’s longing for her former life in old Havana was not the least diminished by her hatred of Castro or her love for the U.S. senator.
This novel includes pretty much everything you might look for in a good, fun read – intrigue, suspense, action, adventure, romance, and a view into the lives of the rich and famous in Palm Beach. It can be a quick and easy book for a trip, the beach, or just for entertainment. I enjoyed it and decided to put another one of the author’s books on my reading list.
