WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is the
fabulous sequel to NEXT YEAR IN
HAVANA. The first book told the tale of Elisa Perez and her
granddaughter Marisol. In this book, we follow Beatriz Perez as she
dreams about going back to Cuba to kill Fidel Castro. Beatriz even gets
recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Castro's inner circle. Her thirst for
revenge is all she can think of, until one fateful evening when she
meets a US senator that will steal her heart. This is a forbidden
romance, and Beatriz is torn between her love for her home country
and the love for a man who can never be hers.
As with NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA, I
was captivated by WHEN WE LEFT
CUBA. I had come to really like the entire Perez family and could
not wait to read about them all again. Beatriz is the wild sister - and will
do anything to avenge the death of her twin brother. It's not that odd
that she is willing to put herself in danger to get a chance to kill Castro,
the man she holds responsible for her brother' murder. However, she
did not expect to fall in love with an American senator. I quite liked both
parts: Beatriz working to get to Castro as well as her forbidden love
story. This book was fascinating to read and learn about Cuba's
history... I only wish that more of the story had taken place in Cuba
instead of in the US.
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA can
definitely be read as a stand-alone book. However, to get the whole
picture, I do recommend reading the first book as well.
In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life--and heart--to take back her country in this exhilarating historical novel from the author of Next Year in Havana, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez--her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost. As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future--but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything--not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart...