A review by oversherin
I Was Never the First Lady by Wendy Guerra

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.