Book Review: Next Year in Havana

For me (like many Americans, I think), Cuba is an enigma–I’ve read a few stories, seen a few pictures, and watched a few movies, but I just can’t quite get a feeling what it’s really like. Is it a magical place stuck in the past full of color and music? Is it a sad place full of danger, uncertainty and anger?

Next Year in Havana brings the country to life through the stories of Elisa Perez, a member of Cuba’s rich class in 1958 and her granddaughter, Marisol, who travels to Cuba in 2017 to find out more about her grandmother and her home country. By weaving together their stories, we’re given two front row seats into Cuba’s past and present–we see what real life was like before (and during) Fidel Castro’s rise to power, how the Cuban Revolution forced people to take sides, and how life ended up for both those that fled and those that stayed.

There’s romance, politics, history, and struggle and using alternating personal stories is usually a good way to trace a family’s story, but this book falls a little short of the epic drama it had the potential to be. There are moments of good writing and opportunity for a story, but sometimes the writing is juvenile and some of the character development is weak.

The author does attempt to describe Cuba–both the Cuba of the past and the Cuba of the present, but there is still something missing in my understanding of this country. I’m not sure that I’ll ever have the chance to personally experience it, so until then, I’ll just keep reading and watching and try to understand.

We did think the book lent itself to being a good choice for a book club; check out our book club guide for Next Year in Havana for some ideas on discussion questions and making it a special event!