The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

What is your favorite book or movie set in Cuba?

 The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba is the story of three revolutionary women in the late 19^th century struggle for Cuban independence. 

 Evangelina Cisneros is eighteen years old and suffering in a notorious prison.  Her father was arrested for being a rebel against Spain and Evangelina was exiled to an island.  While there, the beautiful Evangelina caught the notice of the man in charge of the island.  When she rebuffs his advances, she finds herself thrown into prison.  Her story catches the fancy of William Randolph Hearst who dubs her “the most beautiful girl in Cuba” in his papers and helps to rally a frenzied United States to go to war with Spain over Cuba.  Grace Harrington works for Hearst and struggles to make it as a female reporter in a man’s world.  Marina Perez is estranged from her wealthy family over her choice of husband, but as her husband fights, she works to help the cause in Havana.  Will these three women succeed in their missions?

 I enjoyed this book.  It was told in three different viewpoints for the three different women.  I didn’t know much at all about the Cuban fight for independence and I found it fascinating.  I was even more fascinated to learn that Evangelina Cisneros was a real person, and her story follows what is told in this novel.  I enjoyed all three-story lines, but my only complaint was that I didn’t feel that I really got to know the women as well as I would have liked.  The plot was good, but I think their characters could have been developed a little further. 

 Favorite Quotes:

“There are those who are afraid that the change we seek will leave them pushed to the fringes of a society they have mercilessly dominated for so long.”

 “Our lives are not defined by one thing; we are more than the events that happen to us,”

 Overall, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba was a captivating look into the Cuban fight for independence and yellow journalism of the late 19^th century.

 Book Source:  Review Copy from Net Galley and Berkley.  Thank-you!

A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

 

Title:  A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Author: Laura Taylor Namey

Read by:  Frankie Corzo

Publisher: Simon & Shuster Audio

Length: Approximately 8 hours and 33 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Shuster Audio.  Thank-you! 

What is your favorite novel or movie with travel involved?

Lila Reyes has her life planned out for herself as high school ends.  She is going to take over her beloved grandmother’s Miami bakery, move in with her best friend, and have a happily ever after relationship with her boyfriend.  Unfortunately, her entire world implodes.  To help her out, her family decides to send her to England to stay with a family friend to reset.  Lila doesn’t want to be in England, but she soon makes a new friend in Orion Maxwell.  Orion’s family owns a local tea shop and Orion becomes Lila’s tour guide to England.  Will Lila be able to determine a new direction to her life?

I love books where there is a lot of cooking involved.  Lila is a master chef of Cuban food, which she learned from her beloved abuela.  She is able to use her skills to update recipes, save the day in England and impress new friends.  

This is a young adult novel, and the romance is clean.  There is some swearing and drinking in the novel.  I liked that the novel delves into how Lila has problems dealing with her grief and how she is able to work through it and mature while she is in England.  I also loved the romance in the novel and thought it was very sweet.  I most of all loved how Lila loved her family so much and was so proud of her Cuban – Miami heritage.

The only downfall of this book to me is that it took me a bit to get into the story.  I wasn’t quite sure what was going on in the beginning with Lila’s being sent to England.  Once I put the pieces together and the story progressed, I enjoyed it much more.

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Frankie Corzo. Corzo was a great voice actor and was Lila to me, but also had different voices for the other characters.  I enjoyed listening to it.

Favorite Quotes:

“She forgets that what she does in one small moment can affect tomorrow.”

“Thing is, when you put something back together it’s never exactly the same as it was before.”

“I’ve grown to find peace and acceptance in not fighting what I can’t control.”

Overall, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow is a fun young adult novel about finding yourself and perhaps love while on a trip to England.