Next Year in Havana is a dual-timeline narrative of Marisol (2017) and her grandmother Elisa (1958-1959).

Marisol is a Cuban-American born in Miami, Florida. All her life, she has heard countless stories of her grandmother Elisa’s life in Havana before she and her whole family had to flee Cuba with Fidel Castro’s rise. When Elisa dies, Marisol travels to Cuba to fulfill her grandmother’s last wish; to have her ashes spread over the land she loves.

For 31 years, Cuba has been this mythical, romantic presence in Marisol’s life based on her grandmother’s stories. But when she finds herself there, she realizes it is far from the picture painted on her mind. To find the perfect place to lay her grandmother to rest, she decides to find more about the family history. As she takes up this journey, she finds herself in the maze of family secrets. Everything she has known changes as she learns the meaning of courage, resilience, and sacrifices of being a true Cuban.

How did it make me feel?

What an absolutely beautiful story! I just love the multiple timeline narrative and this book just does it perfectly.

The thing that I loved the most about this book, is how it educates you on the history of Cuba. Usually, with historical fiction, the narratives are based on the backdrop of significant historical events. While that is beautiful too, I usually find myself doing some research on the side to understand the full context of the stories taking place. This was not the case with Next Year in Havana. It takes you right there in Cuba, in the heart of where the action is happening, and leaves no stone unturned, so the readers know exactly what is happening in the world where our characters are navigating their lives.

And for someone who is looking to travel the world in books, that’s me ;), this book was a perfect gateway to Cuba. First, it takes you to Cuba burning with passion, hungry for revolution. Then, it takes you Cuba that struggled after the revolution, the dreams blurring but the hopes burning bright. Finally, it takes you to Cuba that is thriving against the odds, the Cubans who love their country with unmatched loyalty, surviving with unmatched resilience.

I highly recommend Next Year in Havana. Have you read it yet?

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Next Year in Havana will leave you wanting for more, which is why I really want to read the sequel When We Left Cuba.

Let me know your thoughts if you’ve read any of these.