We picked When We Left Cuba as FFL’s book pick for November because it had so many attributes we loved. The novel takes place in the 1960’s with the backdrop of Fidel’s horrific communist regime in Cuba and the dangerous ramifications of it. This novel does a great job of showing the deadly realities of communist regimes and murderous dictators while also weaving a beautiful story with a strong heroine that is part romance, part spy novel, and part coming of age novel.
For starters you loved Chanel Cleeton’s writing and loved Beatriz Perez, you’ll want to check out her other historical fiction novels that follow the Perez family — Next Year in Havana, Last Train to Key West, and her forthcoming novel, The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba. These three novels are included in the list below.
And if you’re looking for more books like When We Left Cuba, whether it’s the history of dictatorships, the 1960’s, or some historical romance you enjoyed, check out these 12 reads.
Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
A gripping, unforgettable portrait of love, silence, and secrets amidst a Spanish dictatorship.
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity—and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution…
Park Avenue Summer by Renee Rosen
It’s 1965 and Cosmopolitan magazine’s brazen new editor in chief—Helen Gurley Brown—shocks America and saves a dying publication by daring to talk to women about all things off-limits…
Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams
A dazzling epic novel of World War II in which a beautiful young “society reporter” is sent to the Bahamas, a haven of spies, traitors, and the infamous Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
Last Train To Key West by Chanel Cleeton
In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys.
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
A powerful, heartbreaking novel that illuminates the intricate mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between the present and the past
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
Two women—a female spy recruited to the real-life Alice Network in France during World War I and an unconventional American socialite searching for her cousin in 1947—are brought together in a mesmerizing story of courage and redemption.
Find Me In Havana by Serena Burdick
A novel based on the dazzling story of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated Hispanic actresses and her daughter’s search for closure.
The Paris Secret by Natasha Lester
An unforgettable historical novel about a secret collection of Dior gowns that ties back to the first female pilots of WWII and a heartbreaking story of love and sacrifice.
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott
Told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail, this is an unforgettable debut: a celebration of the powerful belief that a work of art can change the world.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Vivid and compelling in its portrait of one woman’s struggle for fulfillment in a society pivoting between the traditional and the modern, The Henna Artist opens a door into a world that is at once lush and fascinating, stark and cruel.
RELATED: 16 Historical Fiction Books With Remarkable Leading Ladies
The Most Beautiful Girl In Cuba by Chanel Cleeton
At the end of the nineteenth century, three revolutionary women fight for freedom in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s captivating new novel inspired by real-life events and the true story of a legendary Cuban woman–Evangelina Cisneros–who changed the course of history.
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Amanda O
Founder
