NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA - BOOK REVIEW

Title: Next Year in Havana

Author: Chanel Cleeton

Format: Paperback | Audiobook | E-Book

Pages: 368

Length: 09h03m

Published: 6 February 2018

Publisher: Berkley (Penguin Random House)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

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Have you ever opened a book expecting a simple love story, only to find yourself fully immersed in a sweeping, multi-generational tale that breaks your heart in all the right ways? That was my experience with Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton.

Let me start by saying—I didn’t just read this book... I lived in it. I breathed the salt-soaked Cuban air, tasted the forbidden rum, and felt the pulse of Havana beneath my feet. Chanel Cleeton’s writing is atmospheric in a way that few authors manage to pull off. Within pages, I was transported—not just to a place, but to an era filled with revolution, secrets, love, and loss.

The novel unfolds in a dual timeline format—one of my absolute favourite storytelling styles when done right (and Cleeton nails it). In the present day, we follow Marisol Ferrera, a Cuban-American journalist returning to Cuba for the first time since her family fled decades earlier. Tasked with scattering her beloved grandmother’s ashes, Marisol finds herself not only confronting the political unrest still lingering in modern Havana but also unearthing generations of family secrets.

Then there’s the 1950s timeline, following Marisol’s grandmother, Elisa Perez—a sheltered daughter of a sugar baron living a life of privilege in pre-revolutionary Cuba. But when Elisa falls in love with a revolutionary, her world shifts beneath her feet. Love, loyalty, and survival clash in ways that change the trajectory of her family forever.

The way Cleeton draws parallels between past and present is nothing short of breathtaking. The political tensions that existed in 1950s Cuba echo through to modern-day Havana, showing how history isn’t just something we study in textbooks—it’s something we carry with us, generation after generation. The descriptions of Havana itself—both glamorous and crumbling, vibrant and weary—felt so vivid I could almost hear the music drifting through the streets as I read.

Marisol’s journey was emotionally resonant for me in a way I didn’t expect. Her struggle to reconcile her Cuban-American identity—belonging everywhere and nowhere at the same time—hit close to home. There’s this quiet grief woven throughout the narrative about home, identity, and the ache of displacement. As much as this is a love story, it’s also a story about belonging. About heritage. About how we carry our ancestors’ stories even when we don’t fully understand them.

And let’s talk about the romance—because Cleeton doesn’t hold back. Both timelines feature love stories that are tender, complicated, and filled with the kind of longing that makes your chest hurt just a little. But what I appreciated most is that neither romance overpowered the characters’ personal journeys. Both Elisa and Marisol are written as strong, complex women making impossible choices in impossible times.

As for the writing—Cleeton’s prose is clean, evocative, and emotionally charged without being overwrought. Every word feels intentional. Every scene serves a purpose. There were moments I had to pause—just to sit with a single sentence because of how beautifully it was crafted.

If I had to note one tiny critique (and it really is minor), it’s that some of the historical exposition in the modern timeline leaned a little heavy at times—but considering the limitations of what I knew about Cuba’s political history going in, I actually appreciated the added context.

Next Year in Havana was a 5-star, heart-stopping, tear-inducing read for me. It reminded me why I love historical fiction—not just for the romance or the beautiful settings, but for its ability to humanize history in a way that makes you feel it. Deeply.

If you haven’t read this one yet… bump it to the top of your TBR. And maybe keep a box of tissues close by—you’ll probably need them.