When We Left Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
(Format used for this read: Print–paperback)
This was our July pick for the book club I’m in (the sequel to last months choice “Next Year In Havana”)
Here is a summary:
“In 1960s Florida, a young Cuban exile will risk her life—and heart—to take back her country in this exhilarating New York Times bestselling 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.”
I absolutely 100 % enjoyed this book…it was a fabulous summer read for sure!
In fact I think I enjoyed this book more than the first one about the Perez family.
The character Beatriz has many qualities I admire in a person:
Strength.
Tenacity.
Conviction.
Passion.
Determination.
Independence.
Watching her character develop, get stronger in so many ways and discover who she really was…how she fought against what was expected of her and what she felt led to do…it was so intriguing.
Plus there’s romance…family drama…action…intrigue…and my favorite thing….education.
This book also did as the first and educated me on the country of Cuba and its people and encouraged me to do more research on my own.
Put this on your summer reading list NOW.