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A review by nerdybynatureblog
Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick
3.0
*I received a copy of this via the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
In Cuba, 1936, many families are struggling with the fallout of the Cuban Revolution. Estelita Rodriguez and her family are no exception. When Estelita is discovered while singing in a Havana nightclub, she believes all her luck is about to change. Suddenly, at fifteen Estelita is singing on stages such as the Copacabana, and rubbing elbows with the handsomely famous Mexican singer, Chu Chu Martinez. The pair enter into a whirlwind romance, and soon Estelita finds herself pregnant. When Chu Chu forbids her from ever singing again, Estelita flees with their daughter, Nina, to live out her dreams in Hollywood.
In Big Sur, 1966, Nina Rodriguez is reeling from the sudden and mysterious death of her mother, Estelita. She grew up in awe of her mother's talents and charisma, even if her attentions were usually focused on anything but Nina. Even as a child, Nina knew that she was never the number one priority in her mother's life, and she knew her mother experienced hardships that she could never fully understand. As Nina finds herself slipping into the same destructive patterns that plagued her mother, she looks to her mother's past to learn and make a better future for herself.
I knew nothing of Estelita Rodriguez or her life before going into this book, but I still enjoyed it all the same. Both Estelita and Nina lead such hard lives and it was heartbreaking to see everything they had to endure. There were some aspects of their lives that seemed so glamorous, but it was as if the more fame Estelita achieved, the more she and her family suffered. This is told in a series of letters both by Nina and Estelita and while I did find it slightly hard to fully connect to, it did make the story feel more personal. However, the family dynamics are what shines in this. For much of the story, mother and daughter felt very at odds with one another, and you learn through the letters that that wasn't necessarily the case. This is an engaging historical fiction about real characters, their hardships, and the kind of understanding and connection that can only come from a relationship between a mother and a daughter.
In Cuba, 1936, many families are struggling with the fallout of the Cuban Revolution. Estelita Rodriguez and her family are no exception. When Estelita is discovered while singing in a Havana nightclub, she believes all her luck is about to change. Suddenly, at fifteen Estelita is singing on stages such as the Copacabana, and rubbing elbows with the handsomely famous Mexican singer, Chu Chu Martinez. The pair enter into a whirlwind romance, and soon Estelita finds herself pregnant. When Chu Chu forbids her from ever singing again, Estelita flees with their daughter, Nina, to live out her dreams in Hollywood.
In Big Sur, 1966, Nina Rodriguez is reeling from the sudden and mysterious death of her mother, Estelita. She grew up in awe of her mother's talents and charisma, even if her attentions were usually focused on anything but Nina. Even as a child, Nina knew that she was never the number one priority in her mother's life, and she knew her mother experienced hardships that she could never fully understand. As Nina finds herself slipping into the same destructive patterns that plagued her mother, she looks to her mother's past to learn and make a better future for herself.
I knew nothing of Estelita Rodriguez or her life before going into this book, but I still enjoyed it all the same. Both Estelita and Nina lead such hard lives and it was heartbreaking to see everything they had to endure. There were some aspects of their lives that seemed so glamorous, but it was as if the more fame Estelita achieved, the more she and her family suffered. This is told in a series of letters both by Nina and Estelita and while I did find it slightly hard to fully connect to, it did make the story feel more personal. However, the family dynamics are what shines in this. For much of the story, mother and daughter felt very at odds with one another, and you learn through the letters that that wasn't necessarily the case. This is an engaging historical fiction about real characters, their hardships, and the kind of understanding and connection that can only come from a relationship between a mother and a daughter.