Genre: Women's Fiction/Historical Fiction
My Review - 5 Stars
“Men go off to war and are lauded heroes for sacrificing their lives for their country, for their dedication and patriotism. But women—why are our ambitions designed to end in marriage and motherhood? If we want something else, if our talents lie elsewhere, why isn’t that dedication equally praised and respected?”
This story had as much glitz, glamour, and intrigue as I hoped! We got a glimpse of Beatriz Perez in Next Year In Havana and I immediately wanted to know her story. Whereas NYIH anchored a past storyline within the context of its present day heroine, When We Left Cuba largely centers on a 20-something Beatriz living in Palm Beach, Florida in the early 1960s and then gives us brief glimpses of her on November 26, 2016, the day Fidel Castro died. The structure works well.
The past storyline is written in first person present, while the present day (2016) storyline is written in 3rd person present, to great effect. I don’t always notice which tense is being used, unless it’s not done well, but I noticed here and it allowed the story to breathe in some interesting ways. We’re right there in Beatriz’s world as she adjusts to living in the US after her family had to flee Cuba but when we’re brought back to the present, we’re at a bit of remove, as she is too. She’s figuring out not only how she feels about Castro’s death, but about all the things that happened in her life leading up to this day.
Beatriz is such a vibrant, gutsy character and I absolutely adored her. She is so confident about what she wants out of life, no matter what her family or society says. She’s resolved and she goes after what she wants and what she wants is revenge for her twin brother’s murder under Fidel Castro’s regime.
I could not get enough of this story, even though on the surface it has one of my reading dealbreakers: infidelity. When Beatriz and Nick meet, they are undeniably drawn to one another. The only catch: he announces his engagement the same night they meet. It’s a society wedding and they both know the score, although Beatriz is mostly going on his word and the way he and his fiancée are never together. But Cleeton handled this aspect with such compassion and nuance and the characters reckon with their decisions in a way that felt honest and true.
It was fascinating to see Kennedy’s election and assassination and the Bay of Pigs crisis from a Cuban lens. The focus on dictators at that time and all the intrigue behind the scenes, especially the vying powers, has a lot of lessons for us now in the present. The spying aspects didn’t always seem realistic but it never detracted from my enjoyment of the story. Beatriz has a lot to make sense of and often has to react on the fly and I loved the way she was able to rise to the occasion, no matter what. Plus, I’d never considered how a socialite could make a perfect spy but it made perfect sense.
One of my favorite aspects of this book was how adamant Beatriz was about not wanting to get married or have kids and that she so clearly has no regrets later. She lives life on her own terms and this was so refreshing to see. The ending was deeply satisfying and I sure would not mind getting another book about her adventures. I also hope the reference at the end to Isabella Perez and her corsair is a clue for Cleeton’s next story. It sounds fascinating!
Synopsis
In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life--and heart--to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
Beautiful. Daring. Deadly.
The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez--her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.
As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future--but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything--not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart...
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Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Berkley Books in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.
