When We Left Cuba

4.5-StarsI’m eternally grateful to my buddy reader for bringing my attention to this book. Also, as Cleeton is a new author for me, the excitement I felt was tangible. This is one of the few novels I’ve read that incited some very interesting conversation between my better half and me; however, I did find the first half of the story a tad slow. That being said, I learnt to appreciate why the author had taken her time as my reading progressed. Basically, she was laying down the foundations of the Perez family’s dynamics, giving her readers the opportunity to get to know the heroine’s relationship with her parents and sisters, not forgetting her best friend.“...War has a way of sanding down your virtue.”Beatriz’s beauty takes away the breath of any mortal. A nonconformist much to one of the family member’s dismay, I totally understood why she had no wish to do what was expected of her. There’s certainly nothing to dislike about this young woman who’d fled Cuba in the military coup. Leaving a privileged life behind and grieving for the loss of someone dear to her heart, she’s having trouble adapting to her new surroundings, yearning to return.‘I have little use for false modesty these days; if you’re not going to fight for yourself, who will?’Despite her father losing his lucrative business, the family’s making the best of the cultural changes. She, on the other hand, is consumed with revenge, is unforgiving and strong-willed, these traits attracting who to my mind of thinking, was the devil in person. Of course, he isn’t but he might just as well have been. What she agrees to do is hard stuff but here’s the thing; the plot is totally plausible. The dates, places and the detailed account of such complex and at times, heartbreaking happenings were spot on.“The line between villain and hero is whisper thin and, frequently, a matter of perspective. Gray, Miss Perez. We operate in the gray.”Nick Preston. Ooh, my...such a beautiful and refined man. Older than her, he obviously has more experience in the ways of the world and political ideologies, which I liked a hell of a lot. They try to stay away from each other because there is so much on the line. Whether they are capable of doing so remains to be seen; nonetheless, there were some hellishly emotional scenes I couldn’t help tearing up over.‘He appears as though he’s painted in broad strokes, his visage immortalized by exuberant sweeps and swirls of the artist’s brush, a god come down to meddle in the affairs of mere mortals.’Moments of joy are few and far between in this historical novel of love, hate and forgiveness. I got so annoyed with Beatriz’s mother, her father staying in the background didn’t mean he was unaware of his daughter’s quest. There he was when she needed him most. I really liked how her younger sister Eliza steadfastly supports Beatriz and cannot wait to read her story which fortunately I can be read as a standalone.“But it is not good to always be at war, to always be fighting.”“I will try to keep that in mind.”So, Eduardo...Beatriz’s lifelong friend. I had mixed feelings towards him. He came across as loving and concerned but in the same breath, I felt he'd set her up, fed her to the lions for the want of another expression. And his confession was of no surprise.‘In another life, we might have been magnificent together.’When We Left Cuba is immaculately written. I thought the few passages narrated in third-person a valiant move on the author's part, a pleasant break in a story told in first-person. What can I say about the ending when all I can think of is the what-ifs. It was imperfectly perfect, leaving a smile on my face and bringing tears to my eyes. Bravo Cleeton!

I read “Next Year in Havana” so I had to read this sequel. Get both, you’ll love them.

I read NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA and WHEN WE LEFT CUBA in that order. These books are 50% historical and 50% romance. Four stars for each. I had forgotten so much history. I knew Cuban refugees way back in the late 1960s. Both books handle the historical side in a very good way: Battista, Castro, Che Guevarra, the failed invasion at the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis (I remember the duck and cover drills in 1962 in elementary school), the shooting down of the U2, etc. Castro died in 2016. Nothing has changed nor improved in Cuba since Battista was thrown out and Castro took over in 1959. In fact, it is worse. In 2022, Cuba is on the verge of economic collapse and civil unrest. The historical parts of the book are very good and enlightening. I found the 50% romantic side to be just a little too much, especially in WHEN WE LEFT CUBA. Just my opinion but good books. Now I’m going to read THE LAST TRAIN TO KEY WEST.

For me, Beatriz was the most intriguing of the sisters. She was the twin who survived, described as the most beautiful of the sisters, and the one that didn’t seem to care about the rules of mainstream society. Cleeton dropped many hints about Beatriz while she was telling Elisa’s story, so I felt like we were going to get a great, sweeping saga with this book. It wasn’t “sweeping,” but it was a great story. Beatriz’s twin brother was killed by Castro’s soldiers, we learned that in book #1, and it seemed like she was intent on revenge. While in Palm Beach, rubbing shoulders with America’s elite, she was also working with the CIA on a plot to kill Castro. Since Cleeton is unable to change history, we clearly know that plan failed. Along the way she gained the affection of two men, neither of which were able to win her heart. As a romance fan, I was disappointed that she didn’t find the love of a lifetime, but for Beatriz, her purpose was elsewhere. Beatriz’s story was truly one of determination that left me breathless.

With a heroine reminiscent of Scarlett O’Hara and exotic and glamorous locales, When We Left Cuba is a companion book to Next Year In Havana. It is not necessary to read both books but doing so is helpful in understanding the storyline; it will help the reader understand the passion driving Beatriz to do what she does.Beatriz Perez is a teenager when she and her family flee Cuba in the early 1960s. Daughter of a Cuban sugar baron, she is accustomed to the life of privilege that her beauty and social position to which she is entitled. But during the family’s exile to Palm Beah, the family is merely tolerated by the elite.Before leaving Cuba, Beatriz witnesses first hand the consequences of opposing Castro when her revolutionary-leaning twin brother’s dead body is dumped in front of the family home. At that moment, she vows revenge against Castro and vows to work toward a free Cuba. Through private channels Beatriz is approached by the CIA who seeks to use her as a weapon against Fidel. Seeing a way to both help her country and get her revenge for her brother’s death, see agrees to work with the CIA.Against her better judgement, Beatriz begins an affair with a prominent society scion who is standing for re-election to the U.S. Senate and who is a personal friend of presidential candidate Jack Kennedy. Their on-again/off-again romance is what sustains Beatriz throughout her career of espionage and sees her through the betrayal of a family friend. In all, a story that spans generations of family legacies and courage.I couldn’t put this book down for several reasons, mainly because I lived through this era and vividly recall much of what happened. Ms. Cleeton makes her characters jump off the page and pull you into the story, taking the reader on a wild ride from the high society events of Palm Beach to the shores of a dying Havana. Rich in historical detail, engaging, and thought provoking. Don’t miss this one!

What a delight to read, loved the story and the characters, my only complaint is that it ended too soon.

The book's title is captivating. I'm almost finished half of this novel & am BORED ! It moves V-E-R-YS--L--O--W--L--Y. I'd like to return it ; waste of money.

Love this book. When I was reading, I became so immersed, I forgot where I was! Reading this is like watching a movie in your mind. Everything is laid out so well and I really got to know the characters. I've been to Florida a few times, so it was nice to revisit these places in Ms. Cleeton's book. This is a fantastic book for a book club. The conversations that get going around the history, the characters and what it was like when the Cold War was approaching and what it was like for the people who had to leave Cuba. What would you have done? Easy read, but thought provoking.

I like that it was a continuation of Next Year in Havana.

Excellent quality books and very rapid delivery