When We Left Cuba
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4.3 • 33 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Instant New York Times bestseller!
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 The Last Train to Key West and 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...
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Chanel Cleeton draws on her family’s memories of the Cuban Revolution to craft vividly irresistible historical romances. We first met the wealthy Perez clan in her 2018 novel, Next Year in Havana, in which the family fled to Florida after Fidel Castro’s ascent to power. This sequel focuses on fearless, independent Beatriz, whose drive to avenge her twin brother’s death leads her from posh Miami debutante parties to working with the CIA and an illicit romance with a powerful American politician. Sexier and more suspenseful than its predecessor, When We Left Cuba is a thrilling story of loyalty and revenge.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cleeton (Next Year in Havana) will break hearts with this exquisitely wrought tale of a privileged girl exiled from her country and the powerful American politician who changes the course of her life. After Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, Beatriz Perez and her family sought refuge in Palm Beach, Fla., and tried to rebuild. But Beatriz craves revenge: the Cuban leader was responsible for her twin brother's murder, and she believes that with the help of a fellow exile, Eduardo Diaz, and her recruitment into the CIA she can avenge that death. When U.S. Senator Nicholas Randolph Preston III enters her world at a Palm Beach society ball, she loses her heart quickly to the man who will change her life. Cleeton's twisting, intricate plot of love and revenge takes Beatriz to such locations as Harlem and London (where she faces off with a trained Cuban intelligence officer) and finally to a potentially deadly meeting with Castro in Cuba. Tiny glimpses of the present day are woven throughout the novel, giving readers hints of what became of two idealistic souls. This is a beautiful and utterly transporting novel.
Customer Reviews
powerful, dynamic and imaginative tale
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is the second instalment in Chanel Cleeton’s historical, fictionalized account focusing on the Perez family, and the Cuban Revolution.
Told from first person point of view (past 1960-1963) and present day (2016), third person (Beatriz Perez) WHEN WE LEFT CUBA following two timelines, focuses on Beatriz Perez, a Cuban immigrant to America, in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution that destroyed her family, and everyone she loved. Desperate to avenge the death of her beloved brother Alejandro, Beatriz Perez’ political ideology becomes known to the American government, and is eventually recruited by the CIA, to infiltrate anti-Castro organizations in an attempt to ferret out information concerning the Cuban dictator. Determined to return to her homeland once Fidel is deposed, Beatriz finds herself part of an international espionage group headed by the CIA. Meeting US senator Nicholas ‘Nick’ Preston finds our heroine caught between her head and heart knowing her actions will reflect poorly on the people she loves. What ensues is Beatriz’ resolve to avenge her brother’s death, and the multi-decade love affair with a man who is destined for greatness at the cost of her love.
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a story of family, politics, relationships and love: of betrayal and vengeance, power and control; of one woman’s fight for freedom and independence, and one man’s love that was never enough. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is not a story of romance but a love story between a man and a woman; between a woman and the country she lost. Beatriz Perez grew up surrounded by riches and money, and for her parents, it was all about perception and presentation, but our heroine refuses to follow tradition including society’s expectations of a woman, a Cuban immigrant woman, who struggles to be accepted for her ideals, her self-determination and personal autonomy.
WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a detailed, multi-faceted, and engaging story line that follows the build up to cold war between the US and Cuba, and the ramifications of the Bay of Pigs, the assassination of John F Kennedy, and the consequences of Beatriz’s commitment to Cuba, to vengeance, and to her self-reliance. WHEN WE LEFT CUBA is a powerful, dynamic and imaginative story of one family’s battle to remain true to themselves in spite of the increasing break down of ethical, moral and personal beliefs.