«Next Year in havana»

​There are a lot of things I liked about this book... so I will start with the good and then I'll talk about all the bad (there are quite a few things too)... But before I dig into the specifics of this text, I have a question... why is it that all the historical fiction novels that I have read lately have multiple timelines? Is it me picking the same format over and over? or is it trendy to have two parallel story lines, one where the main character is a descendant of the other main character and somehow their stories intertwine? The plot might be different but the romance story that develops as the main character is trying to put the pieces together of her ancestors is cliché. I feel like I've read it before... however, if you like an easy to read, cute, lighthearted romance novel.. this is it! 

But... let's get into the good stuff about this novel:

• I really liked how both sides of the Cuban Revolution were portrayed. It showed the real spirit of the revolution, and it also showed the flaws of it that later on became what we know as Castro's dictatorship. 
• I liked the perspective of the immigrants who came to the U.S. not by choice but running away from harm. The exiles have a different perspective on what it is and how it feels to migrate. It's a unique and traumatic experience and I think that this book really portrayed the psychological aspects of each character. ​

• The book also does a good job at showing the involvement of the U.S. in Latin America, although it doesn't criticize it directly. It's the subtle comments about their actions that linger and shape the story in some way
• It was very easy to read and as I mentioned before, it was a light hearted, fast read. 

Obviously, there were some things I didn't like... I think that we all have things we love and hate of every book, so here are some of mine for this particular book:

• The format, as I said before.. I feel that the last few historical fiction books have the same premise: a granddaughter or great-granddaughter needs to find herself and the story about her ancestors who lived during (insert historical period here). It just feels cliché after reading so many books with two parallel stories where both granddaughter and grandma have a love story that connects them 
• The story is narrated in first person, and I actually like this style very much because it's easier to follow and it helps me connect with the characters; however... in this novel I could hear the voice of the author trying to teach me the meaning of certain things like the word "ojalá", instead of hearing the voice of the main character. There was a disconnect there... I think it would've had more impact if the actual character showed the reader the meaning, rather than feeling in a lecture of some sort... 

Would I teach this book to my students?? 

• Yes! I think it's an easy read, so if I am doing a unit about different dictatorships in Latin America I would let students choose among different books that take place in different countries and this would be one of them
• There is historical accuracy and there are many points of view to create dialogue in the classroom
• The book also include a reading guide at the end, so those questions could be a really good starting point 

I hope you enjoyed this review. I tried to change the format a little bit, so you can jump right into what you want to know! Let me know what you think! 

Happy Reading!!!        
- Jimena