I’ve been to Cuba once, in 2001. It’s not something I talk about a lot (or have ever written about publically) because 1) Americans were not supposed to go there, and 2), it was a lifetime ago in many ways. What has stayed with me all these years is the beauty of the country. In fact, I remember thinking that if the place – Havana is the only place I really saw -was as beautiful as it could be (meaning the buildings were dilapidated etc.) I wouldn’t be able to stand it.
For nearly 17 years I have wanted to return to this beautiful and complicated place, and last week, I did, sort of, thanks to a new book by Chanel Cleeton Next Year in Havana.
“Ninety miles separate Cuba from Key West, the southernmost tip of the United States. Ninety miles that might as well be infinite.”
This book addresses all of Cuba’s complications, including its history and politics using a good story that includes mystery and romance! Moving back and forth between two time periods, (almost present day) and pre-Fidel, the story is told by two narrators: