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ian_curran's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
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
vivakresh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
One of the best novels I’ve read in a while—a stunning, intense picture of life in Cuba before the revolution.
cthulhu_calamari's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Racism
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
itsbecksmidwest's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
cseibs's review against another edition
3.0
Not top notch literature, but very interesting in terms of its depiction of pre-Revolution Cuba.
ja3m3's review against another edition
3.0
This was a very well-written book about Cuba and the American families and the companies who were living large and exploiting the Cuban people in the years leading up to the Cuban revolution. Why I only gave it 3 stars is that there were so many subplots, characters, and messages that it became very distracting and unfocused towards the end. Did I really need to know that in this work of historical fiction Fidel Castro may have dry humped a male French arms dealer? Really?
tensy's review against another edition
3.0
While I enjoyed her descriptions of life in Pre-Castro Cuba, I was not very engaged with the characters in this book. My family left Cuba in 1962, soon after Castro took over the government. Kushner's descriptions of life on the island are very realistic and really give you a sense of the place, its food, heat, vegitation and the variety of people living in Cuba in the 1950s. I think she is attempting too much in this novel and when she spends time describing the revolutionaries, she loses the momentum in the story and its characters.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
2.0
Picked this book up because I thought it would be interesting to read about Cuba in that time period. But meh didn't get a long with the book. Still want to read more books about this subject but would read by another author next time.
rocketiza's review against another edition
3.0
Takes her use of multiple perspectives to the next level in this novel, a bit too far if you ask me.