In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life--and heart--to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA by CHANEL CLEETON
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: April 9, 2019
Genre: women's fiction, historical fiction
Synopsis
The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez--her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost.
As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future--but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything--not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart...
When We Left Cuba by Chanel CleetonMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Let me start out by saying that I see major love for this book, and I seem to be in the minority with my feelings. My issues may not be yours. If you've been excited about reading this as I was, you could very easily disagree with me. I was looking forward to Beatriz's story ever since meeting her in Next Year in Havana, and I thought her book was going to be surefire, five star book. She was a little bit mysterious, bold, courageous, and honestly I was dying to learn everything there was to know about her. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way. I had a difficult time forcing myself to read all the way through until the end.
If you read the previous book, you'll know that this takes place after the Cuban Revolution and picks up with Beatriz and her family as they are beginning to settle into their new lives in Florida. Elisa is now married, and her mother is obsessed with finding husbands for her other daughters from a respectable family. Her father is focused on rebuilding his sugar empire on American land so that his family is provided for and safe. Though they found refuge there, they haven't been welcomed with open arms in the wealthy circles they were accustomed to in Cuba. There is frustration and bitterness over having their success stolen from them, losing their homeland, and most of all, the injustice of her brother Alejandro's murder. The pain of everything she has survived gnaws at her until the only thought that brings her comfort is killing Fidel Castro and finally returning home to Cuba.
“They say you ruled like a queen in Havana.” “There are no queens in Havana. Only a tyrant who aims to be king.”
It's at this same party where she meets Nicholas Randolph Preston III. A sitting US Senator with aspirations to go all the way to the presidency. They share a dance, sparks fly, and then her attraction skids to a screeching halt when she realizes that Nick is now an engaged man. Professionally, I liked Nick. He was the type of politician that actually cared about making a difference. But when his attraction to Beatriz quickly becomes something of an obsession, that's where things go downhill for me.
I didn't like Nick and Beatriz's relationship. At all. They start out by trying to stay away from each other, but it doesn't take long at all for them both to take what they want "temporarily" and move her into the position of his mistress. I hate cheating and don't find anything remotely romantic about it. I'm all for a star-crossed romance, but it was very hard to root for them or feel any angst over the position they found themselves in. It would have been different if Beatriz knew before sleeping with him that his engagement was purely for political gain. But no. She chose to take what she wanted and (in her words) become "the villain" in the scenario. The other woman. And I understand that she had no interest in marrying anyone, but to sleep with a committed man simply because she temporarily wanted him? He even tells her that he's had other affairs, and it doesn't bother her a bit.
You believe in Cuba and the dreams you have for her future. Besides, you’re Beatriz Perez. When have you ever wanted something and not gotten your way?”
“I vowed Fidel would pay. For what he did to Cuba, for what he did to my family: for throwing my father in prison until we feared he was lost to us, for his role in my brother’s death. There were days, so many days, when that vow was all that kept me going.”
Which, overall was the main point of her espionage throughout the book. We were led steadily toward this opportunity that she was waiting for. She wanted to avenge her brother and free her country from this tyrant who had taken so much from so many. And then we finally get to "the moment" and any expectation of an exciting confrontation is quickly deflated like a popped balloon.
There was just no excitement for any aspect of the book for me. The spy sections were sporadic and failed to garner any suspense whatsoever. I was not invested in Beatriz and Nick's ill fated relationship, so I didn't feel a thing for them. But I left the book feeling more than a little disappointed at the supposed happy ending, because it just wasn't realistic.
The politics were dense in this book which really bogged down the pace, and Beatriz's inner narrative about Americans grated on me. I wanted to love it so bad, but the more I think about the book, the more it frustrates me. I'm actually struggling to think of anything to mention that I liked. I will say that Cleeton did put a lot of detail into the historical side, expressing the threat of nuclear war and Kennedy's assassination very vividly. Like I said, I see glowing reviews everywhere so don't let mine stop you if you're planning to read this. Some books aren't for your taste, and in my case, this happens to be one of them.
FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:
0 komentarze:
Post a Comment