"Half of my heart is in Havana" —Ariana Grande
Havana-ooo-nah-nah is right after reading Chanel Cleeton's novel. Next Year in Havana has everything you can think of…drama, romance, beach vibes...communism? What starts as Marisol Ferrera's journey to spread her recently deceased grandmother's ashes in Cuba (and learn more about her roots), turns into a history lesson on the powers of communism and the secrets that come with it.
Bouncing back and forth between 1958 and 2017, we learn more about the story of Marisol's wealthy grandmother, Elisa Perez, and her exile from her home as communism came into power. Elisa and her family were kicked out of the country after pledging loyalty to President Batista before being overthrown by Fidel Castro. Along the way, Elisa must make choices to help protect her family and those she loves most.
Set in the stages of before, during, and after communism, our eyes are opened to the hardships, struggles, and depression that comes with dictatorship and political unrest. As Marisol's family secrets are slowly revealed, you'll be hard-pressed to put this book down as you discover the answers to the book's biggest questions—what happened to her grandmother's best friend? Where should Marisol spread her ashes? Is Ana's hot grandson TRULY married?
In true Goodreads fashion, I give this book a 4.3 out of 5 stars. A great, light book club option for readers of all ages, but I felt like the parallels at the end of the book were a bit too neatly tied. It did motivate me to read the sequel about Marisol's aunt. (More on that later.)