Reviews

I Was Never the First Lady by Wendy Guerra

natalie_is_reading's review

3.0

2.5 The beginning of the book was rough, but it did get a bit better as it went on and developed a bit of a plot. This book was just very abstract and not super clear, it wasn’t really what I was looking for in it, and I think some things definitely got lost in translation. I did really enjoy the Cuban history in this and liked learning new things and connecting to what I’ve learned in my Spanish class this semester, but overall it was something I just had to power through to be able to finish it.

patrickhaines's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

rocomama's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

oversherin's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed the prose of this book. I do feel like a lot of the cultural context of the Cuban Revolution went over my head. I knew practically nothing about it before reading and found myself often going back to the Wikipedia page to gain some context. At times, I was disconnected from the book because I felt it lacked a strong plot. However by the end, I was deeply moved by the complicated portrayal of Cuba. It has sparked a lot of interest in me and I feel grateful to start my knowledge with this distinctly female-perspective and meditation on women in Cuba. 

Overall, I'm glad I read it although I did feel confused quite a lot of the time. It's a fairly quick read and the prose is so beautiful that I persevered. I recommend to anyone who knows a lot about Cuban history or wants to dive in. 

ncataldo's review

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

marsarah's review

challenging informative tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

fgr's review

medium-paced

3.0

mscoleman's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

gabriellewrren's review

informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This book made me want to learn Spanish — if only to understand it better. The writing is gripping, yet inspiring. It felt like a dream where everyone spoke in poetic language. Politics is art and art is politics. While I did get fatigued towards the end and lost many time along the way, it was a captivating read about a time and place very foreign to me.

saraplovestoread's review

3.0

Found the character development to be lacking and didn't put together some of the major components of the story until near the end of the book.