Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick
Narrated by Marisol Ramirez; Frankie Corzo
Harper Audio Harlequin Audio

This historical fiction book is based on the true story of Cuban-born actress, Estelita Rodriguez and her family. The story is heartbreaking and sometimes raw. Estelita's once wealthy parents lose almost everything due to political unrest in 1930's Cuba. Her mother leaves her husband and children in Cuba at the start of Batista's tenure, taking Estelita to New York to make a record. Thus begins the tragic saga of Estelita, her mother, and Nina, her daughter. It is difficult to watch the poor choices, hard choices and the need to be loved .

I loved the audio version of this book! It brought the characters to life and made me feel as if I were in the middle of it. It was beautifully done.
#findmeinhavana#NetGalley #Harperaudio
Thank you to #NetGalley and Harper Audio for the Advanced Audio Copy.I always review books that I enjoy so that others can enjoy them, too.

I didn't realize this was based on a true story, which had me bumping up my rating. It was a slow start and it took me a few chapters to catch on to the back and forth between Estelita's point of view and Nina's. There was a chunk in the middle that also bogged me down, but the end was full of drama and the epilogue helped wrap the story up in a neat package.

"Cuba, 1936: When Estelita Rodriguez sings in a hazy Havana nightclub for the very first time, she is nine years old. From then on, that spotlight of adoration—from Havana to New York’s Copacabana and then Hollywood—becomes the one true accomplishment no one can take from her. Not the 1933 Cuban Revolution that drove her family into poverty. Not the revolving door of husbands or the fickle world of film. Thirty years later, her young adult daughter, Nina, is blindsided by her mother’s mysterious death. Seeking answers, the grieving Nina navigates the troubling, opulent memories of their life together and discovers how much Estelita sacrificed to live the American dream on her own terms. Based on true events and exclusive interviews with Nina Lopez, Estelita’s daughter, Find Me in Havana weaves two unforgettable voices into one extraordinary story that explores the unbreakable bond between mother and child, and the ever-changing landscape of self-discovery."

Trigger warnings: suicide, misogyny, war, violence, kidnapping, child molestation, rape, murder

(2.5 stars, rounded up)

The story is told by both mother and daughter, beginning with mom Estelita Rodriguez's upbringing in Cuba in the 1930s. She lives through the Cuban Revolution and dreams of going to America. She begins singing on the radio and in Havana nightclubs before she is discovered, eventually becoming a famous actress in America.

Estelita's daughter Nina is born in America and doesn't feel Cuban. She looks back on her childhood with a mother she admired but didn't really understand. Her mother's career and poor choices have made Nina's life harder than it needed to be.

Estelita makes the mistake of bringing Nina to Cuba when she hears her father is ill, and they end up stuck in Castro's Cuba in a house frequently visited by Che Guevara.

Spoiler

Estelita dies at 37 in California of unknown causes,

but this book gives an explanation for what may have happened to her.

This novel was not at all what I expected based on the blurb on the cover. It's billed as a family story about the "sensational life" of a golden age actress, but there is much more in this novel. It's a study of how war kills the spirits of innocents and a detailed look at a complicated maternal relationship.

Spoiler

It ends as a murder mystery that may never be solved.

Estelita and Nina each have their own narrator, which helps to differentiate between each woman's story. Frankie Corzo convincingly portrays both the innocence of a child and Nina's moments of being wise beyond her years.

Recommended for fans of family sagas. Those interested in the Cuban Revolution or Hollywood biographies may also enjoy parts of the story.

I received an electronic audio recording of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Read the review here: https://guenevol.wixsite.com/novelmaven/post/in-havana

This book is a difficult book for me to recommend. It was a page turner that I could not put down, as Serena Burdick’s writing truly drew me into the story. I stayed up half the night to finish it. But there were so many triggers: Suicide, child molestation, child rape, violence, drug use and overdose. Another reviewer described this as “trauma porn” and while the violence wasn’t very gratuitous in my opinion, it’s definitely there and had I known about it beforehand, I would not have picked this up. I bought a sweeping historical drama and what I got was a sad book where trauma was the driver to move the story forward.

3.5 stars and I need a palette cleanser.

Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick is a tragic but memorable story that encompasses Cuban history, Hollywood, violence against girls, and the relationships between sister, mothers, and daughters. Although written as fiction, this book is based on a true story. Prior to this book, I had never heard of Estelita Rodriguez or her sad and complicated life. Now, as her daughter intended, I will remember her life.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/01/find-me-in-havana.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing Winter 2021 historical fiction blog tour.

Estelita Rodriguez began singing at the age of nine years old. This led to her singing in a nightclub in 1936. She went from Havana, Cuba to New York to Hollywood. While she achieved the spotlight, things did not shine bright for her - by any stretch of the imagination.

For one thing, Estelita and her daughter Gina were among the many victims of the 1933 Cuban Revolution. The tragedies that happened to Estelita and her family were beyond horrid. Additionally, Estelita never gave up in her search for love, marrying several men over the course of her life.

Although this book is marketed as historical fiction, it is based on Estelita's true-life story and how her death affected her daughter Nina. As this tragic story is relayed, it is done in the form of memories taken from both Estelita's and Gina's points of view, almost in journal fashion. The author, Serena Burdick, combined research that were based on both true events as well as various interviews.

One of the events relayed in this book is during the filming of the movie Rio Bravo as well as the mention of famous personalities that were in Estelita's life while she was a Hollywood icon. Whether singing or acting, Estelita definitely achieved fame. However, her life was never easy, especially during some extremely difficult years in Cuba, her marriages and while parenting daughter Gina. It was her death years later that was explored in this book, which was no easy read and one that will be with me for quite some time. Find Me in Havana dealt with many issues. especially when Cuban history was part of the story. Also, there were other serious, often disturbing events related in this book, which might just warrant trigger warnings for rape, suicide, molestation, brutality and murder.

Many thanks to Park Row Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

So sad. :(

Before reading Find Me in Havana, I had never heard of Cuban-born singer and actress Estelita Rodriguez. Author Serena Burdick had a chance meeting with Nina Rodriquez and the story of her mother Estelita intrigued her. Years later she revisited the incredible and mostly unknown story and wrote this fictionalized version.

The book is told in two voices. Mother Estelita writing to daughter Nina and Nina writing to her mother, who we know from the start, died in 1966 at age 37. Estelita’s singing talent as a child in Cuba led her to the U.S. and a career in the movies. By eighteen, she became a mother and chose to leave her husband who wanted her to give up her career. Estelita’s life was filled with Hollywood glitz and a continued stream of men. Nina was sent away to school and had a difficult childhood. The book tells of incredible incidents that took place in Mexico and back in Cuba where they find themselves in the middle of the Cuban Revolution.

This is a touching story which we know ends up in tragedy. But it was interesting to learn about Estelita Rodriguez. I wish the book told a bit more of Estelita’s experiences in making Rio Bravo and the other movies she was in but this is essentially a book about a daughter coming to terms with her mother’s life and her own. And a tale of a talented woman who was dominated by the men in her life. A worthwhile read.

Many thanks to Edelweiss, Park Row / HarperCollins and the author for the opportunity to read Find Me in Havana in advance of its January 12, 2020 publication.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.