It’s a different time period but [we] still get to see where the Perez family is in that moment in history and what events they’re dealing with. Ultimately she did, promising herself she could return to the story once the first novel was done, a task which helped her flesh out her new heroine’s backstory. Chanel Cleeton is the USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of contemporary, fiction and historical fiction books famously known for her When We Left Cuba and Next Year in Havana. One thing I adore about these novels is how exquisitely you describe Beatriz and Elisa’s clothes. Following her wedding in Havana, Mirta arrives in the Keys on her honeymoon. Or will we get Maria’s story? In advance of the April 8 release of When We Left Cuba, EW called up Cleeton to get the details on why Beatriz was so compelling to prompt another book, how her own past informed the storytelling, and what we might see from the Perez family next. My grandmother came from a large family, there were five sisters and a brother, and she was really close to them. At the same time, there’s also a tremendous sense of pride in Cuban families where they don’t want distance to exist. I looked at how many events happened that were these hugely impactful, frightening events to live through on both sides of the ocean in such a short time frame. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, When We Left Cuba, The Last Train to Key West, and The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba. Chanel Cleeton, originally from Florida, grew up on stories of her family's exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution.Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from Richmond, the American International University in London, and a master's … More Praise for Chanel Cleeton “A beautiful novel that’s full of forbidden passions, family secrets and a lot of courage and sacrifice.”—Reese Witherspoon “A sweeping love story and tale of courage and familial and patriotic legacy that spans generations.”—Entertainment Weekly I had to be really careful with my research to look at a very narrow window of what the theories were at that time. ?A little bit. I knew that this was what I wanted to explore in my character because to have gone through the revolution and all of that trauma, and to then go from being in crisis to crisis, it really made me admire the strength of the people that lived through that and gave me a whole new appreciation for how much tumult people went through in that time frame. If you haven’t read Chanel Cleeton’s Next Year in Havana, make it your next read! You can view our privacy policy and cookies policy here. Havana was actually a pretty easy book for me to write. Did you ever consider making it a real historical figure?I didn’t really ever consider making it a real-life person. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a … Spread the love with EW's Valentine's Day gift guide, How Talia Hibbert’s own experiences with chronic pain inspired her latest romance heroine, Jasmine Guillory on being the first romance novelist chosen for Reese Witherspoon’s book club, Balli Kaur Jaswal, author of Reese Witherspoon’s March book pick, talks. What do you think is the most misunderstood thing about Cuba and this period of history?One of the big things that spurred me writing the book was [that] growing up in Florida, so many people have a connection to Cuba or someone Cuban or at least have a little bit of a personal knowledge of it from interactions or the news. Loves to travel and has lived in the Keys on Labor Day, 1935 time for a change chapter. 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