I enjoyed this mother-daughter-grandmother saga, This is a story bases on the true events of Estelita Rodriguez’s life. I did not know about this actress and her life. It is told in letters between mother and daughter. This book was intense and tragic. I was hooked early on in the story from the beginning. This story goes back and forth between California and Cuba. Its a story where you keep listening or reading hoping for a happy ending.
I loved the audio of this book. The characters were life-like. Even though it was a historical fiction it wasn't overloaded with facts. I highly recommend this story.

Thank you to the author, Net Galley, and publisher for the ARC of this Audio book for an honest review.

3.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Park Row Books, and Harper Collins audio for this review copy!

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Abuse, Rape, Child Abuse, Drug Use, Physical Violence

Before reading Find Me in Havana , I had never heard of Estelita Rodriguez, the Cuban-American actress from the Golden Age of cinema. I requested this mostly on a whim, but I'm so glad I did. I've always enjoyed learning about film & Cuban history, so this was the perfect intersection of my interests.

This book is beautifully written - heartbreak upon heartbreak. We know from the start that Estelita dies at the age of 37 and this book chronicles the relationship between her and her daughter Nina throughout those years. Written in alternating, diary-like letters, we're able to see both Estelita and Nina's POVs of events that happened throughout their lives - spanning from Los Angeles, Mexico, and Cuba. It's primarily an exploration of their tenuous relationship and how they were never quite able to reach each other.

Parts of this book absolutely revolted me. I'm not normally affected by triggering elements in a book, but the

Spoiler

constant rape and sexual assault of minors was extremely difficult to get through. I know it happened, but it didn't feel like it really served a point, other than to show hwo traumatized Nina was.

Unfortunately, I had quite a bit of problem with the pacing of this book. While I understand the author piecemealed pieces of Nina & Estelita's actual life with fictionalized recreations, but it often felt like two entirely separate stories. You had the beginning of Estelita rescuing Nina from Mexico and then you have them trapped in Cuba. It didn't feel like either of those really fit together or flowed well. I also struggled about whether or not this was a biography or historical fiction - how much of it's actually fictionalized and how much did the author get from Nina? Thinking about that took me out of the story quite a bit.

Unrelated to the book, the audio for this was...horrendous. I'm not sure if it was the production quality itself or because it was through netgalley, but it was extremely monotonous and robotic sounding. While the narrators themselves were fantastic, the recording quality was not great and I struggled to get through it.

In all, I recommend this book. It is absolutely beautifully written and introduces you to a figure that not much is known about!

This book was such a good read! I loved how the story unfolded in alternating chapters between Estelita and Nina. The way the author delved into the relationship between this mother daughter pair was unique and compelling. I was sucked into the plot from the very beginning. My heart ached for both Estelita and Nina. They were both had to endure and struggle though such trauma. The ending came so quickly, but it wrapped the story up nicely.

The story unfolds in a series of letters between Estelita Rodriguez and her daughter Nina Lopez. The story begins in Cuba in 1936 with Estelita’s family struggling following the Cuban Revolution. Growing up with a group of sisters who loved to sing and dance, Estelita is discovered in a nightclub in Havana as a young girl and arrives in the U.S. at age 15 to sing at the Copacabana in New York City. Nina is the result of a marriage to actor Chu Chu Martinez, the first of her four husbands. As was the often the case during this time in history, Chu Chu forbade his wife from performing. Estelita leaves the marriage and is discovered in Hollywood, beginning an acting career and appearing in movies such as Rio Bravo with John Wayne and Dean Martin.

Nina’s relationship to her mother remained strong, despite many horrific events that fell upon the two. Upon her mother’s mysterious death in 1966, Nina finds her self on a journey, reflecting on memories of her mother’s life and all that she endured to find her American dream.

The story would not be complete without the mention of the one constant in both Estelita and Nina’s lives- Estelita’s mother. A strong woman herself, she encourages Estelita to follow her dreams to Hollywood and becomes a stabilizing figure for Nina. The book really shines to me in the depth and sacrifice of all three women to create a good life independent of having to be someone’s wife. Therefore, I find it interesting that Estelita married so often in her 37 years.

I found this book to be a very interesting read. It provides the reader with an immersion into the Cuban Revolution. It also is demonstrates the way women have historically experienced injustice and atrocities as they strived to be something more. As a warning to more sensitive readers, this book has elements of physical abuse, misogyny and rape. It is a difficult read at times because of this, but an important one to completely understand the story.

I listened to the audiobook version of the book which was narrated by Marisol Ramirez and Frankine Corzo. Their performances were very good, and provided a sense of realism to the story. Their voices were articulate and expressive. I listened to the book at my usual 1.25x which provided a comfortable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend the audiobook version of the book to those that enjoy this format.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Audio for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for the honest review provided here.

This books sucks you in and spits you out again, and I mean that in the best way possible! Heart-wrenching and emotional and so compellingly written, this novel is unique and powerful.

Find Me In Havana by Serena Burdick is a beautiful and sad story about the lives of Estelita Rodriguez and her daughter Nina. It is told through letters between the mother and daughter and spans decades. It was rich in history and sadness, It does contain some difficult sujects, such as rape and molestation, so if a reader is not comfortable with those topics, they would want to pass on this book.

While the story itself did feel slow and drawn out at times, I found myself to be fully invested in learing where the story would end up and how the lives of Estelita and Nina played out, Estelita had quite a life, she was a well known singer and actress from Cuba, with a big and complicated family. I may not have thought she always had her priorities straight, but she did truly love her daughter. I was sad for Nina through out the book, she did not have it easy and carried so much guilt with her. That guilt led her to own bad choices. The relationship between the mother and daughter was strained at times, but the sotry was unique since it told each of their sides of it.

I was so glad that the author ended the story the way that she did and gave us a glimpse at the life that Nina went on to live. I appreciated the feeling of closure.

The narration was increditble for the audiobook for Find Me In Havana. Marisol Ramirez and Frankie Corzo gave heartfelt and emotional perfomances that really enhaced the book and overall experience for me, I would definelty recommend it to any of my friends that enjoy listening to Historial Fiction Audiobooks.

Thank you to Harper Audio for my copy of the Audiobook for Find Me In Havana in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 stars! Find Me in Havana follows a mother and daughter in the 1950s and 60s. This historical fiction gives off major “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” vibes. With the mother being a Cuban American actress and singer in the 1950s. I thought the storyline was clever to add the Cuban historical aspect. However , it did fall short a bit. I enjoyed the historical aspects and I really felt for Nina and her mother. But at times I felt like the story dragged a bit, I did not become invested until the 50% point and the epilogue did not wrap the story up very well. The ending had so much potential, but it really get rushed.