A review by celestesbookshelf
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
Late to the party for this @reesesbookclub pick! Had it on my shelf over 2 years before I felt it needed to be picked up. 

▫️Dual POV: granddaughter & grandmother
▪️Story of Cuba’s feeling their country under the rise of Fidel Castro
▫️Lovers: right person, wrong time 
▪️Strong family ties 
▫️Revolutionary men; strong patriotism
▪️I didn’t see the twist coming towards the end; it was a pleasant surprise

This is a historical fictional novel that removes the veil of the pain and suffering that Cubans endured under Batista and Castro. 

The oppression that Cubans have been under for decades; the censorship and lack of freedom of speech is unfathomable. The lack of housing, reliable internet, freedom to THINK, has all been censored, restricted, and punished if found out.