Next Year in Havana

By: Chanel Cleeton

Narrated by: Kyla Garcia, Frankie Maria Corzo

Length: 11 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

A Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine on Audible Pick

"A beautiful novel full of passion, secrets, courage and sacrifice." (Reese Witherspoon)

After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity - and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, 19-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest - until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary....

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate.

When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2018 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Interesting idea, but writing and performance rather sophomoric

I was really looking forward to a story about lives in Cuba and this one seemed promising, but I found the writing to be a bit sophomoric. It was a bit too sickly sweet for me and used too many words, hitting us readers over the head with things we could have gotten when we read them the first time. The author would benefit from more subtlety and restraint. Likewise, I felt the narrator was trying too hard to get lots of inflection in her voice. I didn’t even realize there were two narrators until I read it at the end. They sound very similar.

Not great literature by any stretch of imagination

Writing was clumsy and sophomoric and the narration was delivered in an almost monotone voice. I appreciated however her accurate pronunciations. On the plus side, since I have visited Cuba several times, I very much appreciated the descriptions of land, sky,sea, cars, architecture, and revolutionary monuments and sites. Those were spot on and made me very nostalgic.

Great Narration

I’m not one to love audio books- I much prefer the physical version. I tend to get annoyed my narrators easily, but I really enjoyed the two women who read this one. I loved that it was a romance, but also something that helped me to understand Cuban history so much better and liked how the flashbacks and flash forwards were easy to follow as well.

Cuban story

This book took me a while to get into but in the end it was entertaining. I do not know how accurate the history is but the characters make the story flow along and bring a bit of mystery to that island.

Loved it, made me homesick

As a Cuban - American i found the book charming. Even though we left when I was 11 it was in 1960 so the story was right on my mark. However Ms Cleeton wrote the book for C/A or those familiar with Cuban cooking, for she mentions picadillo, arroz con pollo and other words without further explanation. But as I said, I loved! Next year in Havana!

Heartbreaking and filling all at once

Every once in a while there is a story that touches you so deeply, it makes you realize every recent book you read was dispensable. This one touched me. So acutely and so beautifully that I don’t know if I’m crying from overwhelming emotion, sadness, or marvel at the human souls capacity for love.

Cuba

This is a wonderful story! I learned so much about Cuba: it’s people, it’s customs, it’s landscape, it’s regimes!
The book was beautifully narrated by Kyla and Frankie. I did not want it to end!

Amazing 10 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Beautiful story! Wonderfully well written! It had great flow and I loved how the stories coincided with each other flowing effortlessly between Elisa and Marisol!! A perfect mix of fiction and truth! A wonderful read! If I could give it more stars I would!!

Swept me away...

This book combined three of my favorite things:
Romance
Family secrets
Rich history

I’ll admit to not knowing as much as I should about Cuban history but this book educated me without hitting me over the head with it, all while drawing me in with more than one irresistible love story. Couldn’t stop listening.

Wonderful

Wonderful story oftwo love stories amid the terrors of a country ripped apart by greed and then by dictatorship. tells of how this affected both the people who migrated to Florida and Those who stayed, both longing for and loving a country long gone. Sad but beautiful tale. I loved it.