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A review by cometreadings
When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
5.0
There are stories…and Stories. When We Left Cuba belongs to the second ones.
I had such good vibes when I started reading this novel, probably because I loved Next Year in Havana so much, or because the premises Beatriz would have been such a fantastic character have always been there in my mind. There is no page of this novel that is trivial or undeveloped. The dialogues are excellent, and the evolution of the characters shows the mastery and affection of the author towards this story. Despite being a second chapter in the Perez family saga, this novel can be read without having previously read Next Year In Havana, however, it would be a shame.
In fact, from the first book, we start knowing the characters’ s personalities in another social and geographic context.
If in the Next Year in Havana, the initial wealth of the family is described in a historical context that was moving towards remarkable and rapid changes and then the events of Cuba are followed, retracing them through Marisol (who is Eliza’s nephew, Beatriz’s younger sister); in When We Left Cuba the narration is set mainly in Palm Beach, Florida, where the Perez family has settled after escaping from Cuba.
In this new reality and social condition, the Perez’ can no longer count on the influence and protection of their name, and that makes more important to avoid scandals and have the right connections within a restricted and diffident society. The narration is told from the point of view of Beatriz, who is the rebellious soul of the family, the woman who does not want to limit her role as a woman to social conventions. The “Sugar Queen” sees her beauty more as a curse in a society where the only goal is to raise a family, not always implying true love.
Beatriz is such a great, passionate character. She is determined in the way of loving and pursuing her ideals, that represent her only way to still love and keep alive the memory of her brother, Alejandro.
But while her feelings could lead to an overwhelming love relationship, her identity and dreams are strongly projected toward Cuba and the discovery of the world and its opportunities to make significant changes.
Her rebellious and dreamy soul will lead her to live every moment as if she were the last and to discover a new and even more profound sense of identity, family, and home.
I had such good vibes when I started reading this novel, probably because I loved Next Year in Havana so much, or because the premises Beatriz would have been such a fantastic character have always been there in my mind. There is no page of this novel that is trivial or undeveloped. The dialogues are excellent, and the evolution of the characters shows the mastery and affection of the author towards this story. Despite being a second chapter in the Perez family saga, this novel can be read without having previously read Next Year In Havana, however, it would be a shame.
In fact, from the first book, we start knowing the characters’ s personalities in another social and geographic context.
If in the Next Year in Havana, the initial wealth of the family is described in a historical context that was moving towards remarkable and rapid changes and then the events of Cuba are followed, retracing them through Marisol (who is Eliza’s nephew, Beatriz’s younger sister); in When We Left Cuba the narration is set mainly in Palm Beach, Florida, where the Perez family has settled after escaping from Cuba.
In this new reality and social condition, the Perez’ can no longer count on the influence and protection of their name, and that makes more important to avoid scandals and have the right connections within a restricted and diffident society. The narration is told from the point of view of Beatriz, who is the rebellious soul of the family, the woman who does not want to limit her role as a woman to social conventions. The “Sugar Queen” sees her beauty more as a curse in a society where the only goal is to raise a family, not always implying true love.
Beatriz is such a great, passionate character. She is determined in the way of loving and pursuing her ideals, that represent her only way to still love and keep alive the memory of her brother, Alejandro.
But while her feelings could lead to an overwhelming love relationship, her identity and dreams are strongly projected toward Cuba and the discovery of the world and its opportunities to make significant changes.
Her rebellious and dreamy soul will lead her to live every moment as if she were the last and to discover a new and even more profound sense of identity, family, and home.