Dogodine u Havani

In the past, Elisa Perez, the 19-year-old heiress of a wealthy sugar dynasty, lives in the luxury of Havana's high society under the Batista dictatorship. While the men of the Perez family influence politics, the sisters enjoy dancing, cocktails and romantic adventures. Elisa meets the rebellious Son of Rebellion, the charismatic Pablo, and falls in love with him in the midst of the revolutionary whirlwind. Their forbidden love, full of secret meetings and danger, symbolizes the conflict between the old Cuba and the coming communism. When Batista falls, the Perezs flee to Miami, leaving Elisa with a broken heart and a secret – Pablo has been executed by revolutionaries, and she is carrying his child.

In the present, after the death of Elisa (who died as Marisol's grandmother), 30-year-old journalist Marisol Ferrer comes to Havana to fulfill a promise: to scatter the ashes and investigate the roots. As a Cuban-American, Marisol uncovers family secrets, encounters discreet dissidents, and meets Louis, a local guide and activist whose passion for change awakens her own. As she explores the past—from old photographs and letters to memories of the revolution—Marisol grapples with exile’s grief, identity, and hope for Cuba’s future.

Inspired by her family’s story, Cleeton masterfully weaves history (the fall of Batista, the Casusa, the exodus) with intimate emotion, critiquing political repression and celebrating the Cuban soul—the rhythm of salsa, the smell of tobacco, the warmth of family. A New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club selection, the novel is a reminder of the fragility of freedom and the power of love to overcome time.